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POOR MAN'S 






MORNING PORTION: 


BEING A SELECTION OF A. 




VERSE OF SCRIPTURE, 




* • - j i 

»- . ' t 


WITH 






SHORT OBSERVATIONS FOR EVERY DAY IN TIIE YEAR; 


INTENDED FOR THE USE OF THE POOR IN SPIRIT WHO ARE RICH IN 
FAITH AND HEIRS OF THE KINGDOM. 


BY ROBERT HAWKER, D. D. 

** 

VICAR OF CHARLES, PLYMOUTH. 




A NEW EDITION. 

-E ML. -— 



PHILADELPHIA: 

THOMAS WARDLE, CHESTNUT STREET. 

STEREOTYPED BY L. JOHNSON. 

18 4 5 . 

















. 




PHILADELPHIA: 
PRINTED BY KING & BAIRD, 
No. 9 George street. 








PREFACE 


TO THE FIRST EDITION. 


The titlepage of this humble work sufficiently ex¬ 
plains itself. It is designed as a means, in the Divine 
hand, to promote the Redeemer’s glory, and his people’s 
happiness. It hath often struck me, that such a method, 
under the blessing of the Lord, might prove eminently 
useful. By publishing in this way, in little penny books, 
some sweet portion of Scripture, for every day in the year, 
it might come within the reach of all pockets, be within 
the reach of all hands, and bid fair to be read, when 
larger books are laid aside and forgotten. 

It was, indeed, with the same view, that some few 
years since I sent forth a Diary of this kind. But in 
that work, the selection was confined wholly to the Pro¬ 
mises. Experience hath since shown, that reference may 
be occasionally had, with great advantage, to other parts 
of the word of God. In this, therefore, I have enlarged 
the plan. And besides making extracts from the whole 
Scripture, I have ventured to add, under each passage, 
such thoughts as passed over my own mind, in the pe¬ 
rusal, hoping that the Lord might render them profitable 
to others. 

It will be scarcely necessary to go over the same 
ground, by way of preface, as was then done. But it 
cannot be too often said, by way of reminding the be¬ 
liever, that the promises of God in Christ are evidently 
meant by the gracious giver of them, for the daily com¬ 
fort of his people. And what is said of the promises , 
may be equally applied to the whole tenor of covenant 
love, which runs through the Bible. Indeed, if the truly 
awakened soul did but consider the word of God in this 

3 



4 


« PREFACE. 


point of view, and make use of it, upon every occasion, 
as his own circumstances are found to require, it could 
not fail of opening to his mind a perpetual source of joy 
and consolation all the day. 

For what are the promises, but so many bonds and en¬ 
gagements of a Covenant God in Christ ? In them, the 
Lord hath pledged himself to his people, as they stand 
related to Christ; and by the fulfilment of them, they 
prove his faithfulness. So that, strictly and properly 
speaking, God’s promises are our charter: His word our 
security. His Verily and Amen, the breasts of consola¬ 
tion from whence God’s little ones are nourished. And 
if the Lord’s people would seek, from the Holy Ghost, 
the testimony he gives in them concerning Jesus ; and, 
from general promises, make application of them to their 
own ■particular state and circumstances, as they may re¬ 
quire ; they would find, upon numberless occasions, that 
the Lord is speaking in them, and by them, to the souls 
of his people, and in the sweetest and most endearing 
language. “ I would rather have God’s Amen, and his 
Yea, and Verily, (said a tried soul of old,) than the pro¬ 
mises, or oath, of all the men upon earth.” And so 
would every believer, when from long experience of God’s 
fulfilment of his word, and promises, he could set to his 
seal that God is true. But, if we never make use of 
God’s promises ; never exercise faith upon them: never 
bring them before the throve for payment; nor make 
memorandums, when they are paid: how shall we know 
their value, or God’s love and faithfulness in their accom¬ 
plishment ? 

Convinced of the importance of the thing itself, and 
with a view to direct the minds of God’s people to the 
daily exercise of this grace of faith upon the word and 
promises of our Covenant God in Christ, I have here ga¬ 
thered out of the holy Treasury some sweet portion, for 
gracious souls to feed on from day to day. And so fully 
persuaded am I of the preciousness of this employment, 
that I am confident to say, if the people of God would 
make it their uniform custom, morning by morning, with 
the first return of day, and, if possible, before the world 
hath power to break in upon the mind, thus to have re¬ 
course to God’s word, and (as David said he did) to 


PREFACE. 


5 


hearken what the Lord God would say concerning him ; 
they would find, and perhaps frequently before night, 
sufficient cause to bless God, for his faithfulness in the 
accomplishment. Nay, sometimes indeed, they would 
discover the word to be so immediate and direct to the 
present moment, as if the Lord had left, for a while, the 
whole world, to draw nigh to them, in those visits of his 
love. Like the Patriarch at Bethel , they would be con¬ 
strained to say, Surely the Lord is in this place or in this 
word, and I knew it not! 

It was thus holy men of old walked with God. They 
communed with the Lord, and the Lord with them, 
through the medium of his word. They made known 
their wants, and the Lord made known his grace.— 
Prayers went up, and answers came down; and He 
made all his goodness to pass before them. In a more 
especial manner, they consider all the promises as their 
own. And they accepted of them, as given of the Lord, 
with this express design, as if the Lord pledged himself by 
them, to his people, that they might bring them before 
the mercy-seat, whenever they needed and plead for pay¬ 
ment. Hence they kept house, feasted, and lived joy¬ 
fully upon them, when they had nothing else to live 
upon. And from this cause it was, that after a succes¬ 
sion of many generations from father to son, they could 
and did appeal to the uninterrupted experience of every 
preceding history, and left it upon record for the assu¬ 
rance and comfort of all that should come after, that not 
one thing had failed of all the good things which the 
Lord had promised, but all was come to pass as it is this 
day. 

I cannot therefore but earnestly recommend to the 
gracious souls for whom this little work is intended, si¬ 
milar conduct, that we may be patient followers of them 
who now through faith and patience inherit the promises. 
And a method so short, so easy, and so practicable, as 
is here set forth, and which the most busy life, even among 
the labouring poor of our people, cannot find much dif¬ 
ficulty in performing, will I trust be abundantly blessed 
of our gracious God. The labourer who is straitened in 
time, and obliged sometimes to hasten to his work, with¬ 
out falling upon his knees in family prayer, may yet 
1 * 


6 


PREFACE. 


even while putting on his clothes, look at f the Morning 
Portion ; and if unable to run through the observations 
which follow the Scripture, may yet take with him the 
Scripture itself, and gather subjects from it, under the 
divine teaching, for prayer, and praise, as he hastens on. 
And if this plan be constantly and invariably followed 
up without the omission of a single morning, I venture 
to believe his diligence will be abundantly recompensed, 
upon numberless occasions, through life. 

There is one advantage more, from the use of this 
little work, which I detain the Reader to mention, and 
which will be, I conceive, of no small importance, in 
making it blessed, if so be the Lord should dispose the 
minds of many gracious souls to the daily use of it. 
I mean, the Communion of Saints. This privilege' of 
God’s people is much spoken of; but I rather fear, not 
so much attended to, or regarded, as it ought. And yet, 
next to the rapture arising from communion with our 
glorious Head, what can open to more enjoyment, than 
communion, through him, with the members of his mys¬ 
tical body ? I cannot help telling, in this short way, 
many precious souls, whom I love in the faith, and who I 
know love me, that I am looking forward to much spiritual 
enjoyment on this account, from our use of this little 
work, humble as it is: not from my t poor labours in the 
observations which follow the scripture, hut from God’s 
blessing on the Scripture itself. Let it he supposed, (what 
is very possible,) that many a true believer in Jesus, in 
different places, he led in one and the same moment of 
the morning, to the perusal *of the Morning Portion. 
Now, as the Scripture is the same; as the Almighty 
Spirit, who is the Author of that Scripture, the Quick- 
ener in prayer, and the Helper of the infirmities of his 
people in prayer, is the same ; and as He who leads out 
the minds of the people, at all times, and in all places, is 
the same; and his blessed work, in glorifying the Lord 
Jesus, is always the same; what can be more animating 
or delightful than the thought, that all so engaged, in 
one and the same Scripture, being under the same gra¬ 
cious influence, must necessarily be all looking up to the 
Lord Jesus, in one and the same moment; and having 
fellowship with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ, 


PREFACE. 


7 


have spiritual union also one with another, as members 
of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. Hence, though 
far asunder, from each other, in the body, and in num¬ 
berless instances having never seen each other’s face, in 
the flesh, yet by virtue of connection with our spiritual 
Head, we truly participate in one and the same divine 
life, and enjoy the very sweet and distinguishing felicity 
of the Communion of Saints. 

I stop the reader no longer than just to say, I humbly 
hope every truly gracious and awakened soul,who makes 
use of this Morning Portion, will not fail to connect with 
the use of it, a constant application to, and dependence 
upon the Holy Ghost, as the Glorifier of the Father and 
of the Son; without whose work upon the heart, not a 
promise can we plead, not an argument can we use, not 
a grace can we exercise, even to the knowledge of our 
wants, or of the fulness of the Lord Jesus to supply 
them. But, my Brother, let me add, if your soul be 
warmed under the influence of the Holy Ghost, and while 
you read God’s promise you find grace to convert that 
promise into a prayer, and when you have thus done act 
faith upon it, this will be to realize the mercy, and to 
make every promise your own. And oh! how truly 
blessed is it, when the believer thus proves that all the 
promises of God iri Christ Jesus are yea and Jlmeri , unto 
the glory of God by us. 













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rOOR MAN’S 


MORNING PORTION. 


JANUARY.—1. 

Jesus Christ; the same yesterday, and to¬ 
day, and for ever.— Heb. xiii. 8. 

Precious truth to open the year with, and to keep con¬ 
stantly in view amidst all the fluctuating and changeable 
circumstances arising both within and without, and all 
around! My soul, meditate upon it; fold it up in thy 
bosom to have recourse to as may be required. Contem¬ 
plate thy Redeemer as he is here described. He is Jesust"' 
thy Jesus, a Saviour, for he shall save his people from 1 
their sins. He is Christ also, God thy Father’s Christ, 
and thy Christ; the Anointed, the Sent, the Sealed of 
Jehovah. He is the same in his glorious Person ; the 
same in his great salvation:— Yesterday; looking back 
to everlasting: To-day; equally so through all the 
periods of time: For ever; looking forward to the eter- 
nky to come. And, blessed thought! He is the same in 
his love, in the efficacy of his redemption; his blood to 
cleanse, his righteousness to justify, his fulness to supply 
grace here and glory hereafter. And what sums up the 
precious thought; amidst all thy variableness, thy frames, 
thy fears, doubts, and unbelievings, he abideth faithful. 
He is, he will be, he must be, Jesus. Hallelujah \ 

9 



10 


JANUARY 2—3. 


Lord ! let it alone this year also, till I shall 
dig about it, and dung it: apd if it bear fruit, 
well; and if not, after that thou shalt cut it 
down.— Luke xiii. 8, 9. 

Do I not behold the Lord Jesus here represented in 
his glorious offige of our High-Priest and Intercessor ? 
And is it thus, that he so mercifully pleads for the un¬ 
awakened and unprofitable among his people ? Pause, my 
soul! Was it not from the effects of his intercession, 
that the world itself was spared from instant destruction, 
when Adam first brake through the fence of God’s law ? 
Is it not now by the same rich grace that thousands are 
spared from year to year in Christ Jesus, before that they 
are called to the knowledge of Christ Jesus ? Nay, my 
soul! pause once more over the view of this wonderful 
subject, and ask thyself, Was it not from the same al¬ 
mighty interposition that thou wast kept from going 
down to the pit, during the long, long period of thy un- 
regeneracy, while thou wert wholly unconscious of it ? 
Hadst thou died in that unconverted state, where must 
* have been thy portion ? And was it from thy gracious 
intercession, blessed Jesus, that I then lived, that I am 
now spared, and, after all my barrenness, that another 
year of grace is opening before me ? Oh, precious, pre¬ 
cious Jesus ! suffer me to be no longer unfruitful in thy 
garden! Do, Lord, as thou hast said. Dig about me, 
and pour upon me all the sweet influences of thy Holy 
Spirit, which, like the rain, and the sun, and the dew of 
heaven, may cause me to bring forth fruit unto God. 
And, Lord! if so unworthy a creature may drop a peti¬ 
tion at thy mercy-seat for others, let the coming year be 
productive of the same blessings to all thy redeemed; 
even to my poor unawakened relations; and to thousands 
of those who are yet in nature’s darkness. Oh that this 
may be to them the acceptable year of the Lord ! 


The year of my redeemed is come. 

Isaiah lxiii. 4. 

Yes ! from everlasting the precise period of redemption 
was determined, and the appointed time of the vision 



JANUARY 4. 


11 


could not tarry. Every intermediate event ministered to 
this one glorious era—redemption by JesUs. The church 
was in Egypt four hundred and thirty years, and in 
Babylon seventy. But we are told in the former instance, 
‘ the self-same night’ the Lord brought them forth with 
their armies; and the latter did not outstay the hour of 
their promised deliverance. So when the fulness of time 
was come, the Son of God came for the redemption of 
his people. And observe how graciously Jesus speaks 
of them: he calls them his redeemed. They were so in 
the covenant from everlasting; and when the time arrives 
for calling them by his grace, he claims them as the gift 
of his Father, and the purchase of his*blood. My soul, 
is this thy jubilee year ? Art thou living as the redeemed 
of the Lord ? If so, plead with' thy Redeemer for the 
hourly-renewed visits of his love to thee, and for the 
.year of redemption to all his unawakened. 


And when Abram was ninety years old and 
nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said 
unto him, I am the Almighty God : walk before 
me, and he thou perfect. Gen. xvii. 1. 

Our old Bibles, in their margin, have retained the 
original El-Shaddai , which we now read God Almighty, 
and marked it also God All-sufficient; meaning, that 
Jehovah in covenant with Jesus, as the Head of his people 
is all-sufficient in himself, and all-sufficient for all their 
need in time and to eternity. He is God All-sufficient, 
or of many paps, many breasts, of consolation, (as some 
derive the word,) for hjs faithful ones to suck at and 
draw from, in an endless supply. Here then, my soul, 
take this sweet title of thy Covenant God and Father in 
Christ Jesus for thy daily meditation, both at the opening 
and through all the periods of the coming year. And 
as even at old age the Lord still opened to Abraham this 
precious source for his comfort, so look up in Jesus and 
behold it as thine. And oh, my soul! do thou walk 
before him in the perfect righteousness of God thy Sa¬ 
viour, and jhus daily keep up fellowship with the Father, 
and with his Son Jesus Christ. 



12 


JANUARY 5—6. 


I am my beloved’s, and his desire is towards 
me .—Song vii. 10. 

Yea, dearest Jesus ! I am truly thine, for thou hast 
dearly bought me with thy blood, and conquered me 
with thy grace. And now, through thy Spirit’s teaching, 
I can and do discover that from everlasting thy desire 
was towards thy redeemed ones, and even when dead in 
trespasses and sins it was thy desire to quicken them into 
life, and bring them to thyself. And even now, notwith¬ 
standing all my backwardness to thee, thou restest in 
thy love, and thou art calling me by thy grace, and seek¬ 
ing continual fellowship in ordinances, and by thy word 
and providences; all which prove that thy desire is 
towards me. And as to the everlasting enjoyment of 
all thy church above, thy prayer to thy Father manifest¬ 
ed thy desire, when thou saidst “ Father, I will that they 
whom thou hast given me, be with me to behold my 
glory!” Are these then the desires of my God and Saviour, 
my Husband, my Brother, my Friend ? And shall my 
heart be thus cold towards thee ? Oh ! for the reviving in¬ 
fluences of thy Spirit, that I may cry out with the 
church, “ Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth; 
for thy love is better than wine.” 


For verily he took not on him the nature of 
angels.— Heb. ii. 16. 

Contemplate, my soul, the peculiar sweetness of that 
grace which was in thy Jesus, when, for the accomplish¬ 
ment of thy salvation, he passed by the nature of angels 
to take upon him thy nature. There were but two sorts 
of transgressors in the creation of God; angels and men. 
But angels are left in everlasting chains, under darkness, 
to the judgment of the great day. And fallen, sinful, 
rebellious man, finds grace of redemption. Had Jesus 
taken their nature, would not this have been nearer to 
his own? Would not their services have been vastly 
superior to ours? Would not the redemption of beings 
so much higher in rank and intellect, have opened a far 
larger avenue of praise to our adorable Redeemer ? Pause 



JANUARY 7. 


13 


over these thoughts, my soul, and then consider there¬ 
from how our Jesus, in his unequalled condescension, 
hath thereby the more endeared himself to thy love. And 
learn from hence, that if Jesus needs not the service of 
angels, how is it possible that man can be profitable to 
God. And the simple act of faith of a poor fallen sinner, 
in believing the record that God hath given of his dear 
Son, gives more honour to God than all the services of 
men or angels for ever. Mark this down as a blessed 
truth; Jehovah is more glorified by thy faith and trust 
in him, than by all thy works. Lord, give me this faith, 
that I may cleave to thee, hang upon thee, follow thee, 
and never give over looking unto thee, until mine eye- 
strings break and my heart-strings fail, and then be thou 
“the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever!” 


One pearl of great price.— Matt. xiii. 46. 

Great, indeed, and but One! for salvation is in no 
other; neither is there any other name under heaven 
given among men, whereby we can be saved. My soul, 
hast thou considered Jesus in this precious point of 
view? Hast thou beheld him both in his divine and 
human nature, how unspeakably glorious in himself, and 
how enriching to the souls of his people ? Art thou a 
spiritual merchantman seeking goodly pearls ? And is 
Jesus the One, the only One, costly, precious, and so 
infinitely desirable in thine eye, that thou art willing to 
sell all, that thou wouldst part with millions of worlds, 
rather than lose Christ ? Hast thou found Him in the 
field of his Scripture, and dost thou ask how shall I buy ? 
Listen to his own most gracious words :—“ I counsel thee 
to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be 
rich.” Yes, thou generous Lord ! I am come to buy of 
thee without money and without price. For well I know, 
through thy teaching, that neither the obedience of men 
or angels can purchase the least title to thee, but thine 
own precious merits and thine atoning blood. And now, 
Lord, possessing thee, I possess all things; and will give 
up all beside, and part with all, and forget all, since 
Jesus is mine, and I am his, in time and to all eternity. 

2 



14 


JANUARY 8—9. 


Thou hast kept the good wine until now. 

John ii. 10. 

The good wine of the gospel must be Jesus himself; 
for He, and He alone, trod the winepress of his Father’s 
wrath, when the Lord bruised him and put him to grief. 
This is the wine which, in Scripture, is said to cheer both 
God and men; for when God’s justice took the full 
draught of it for the sins of the redeemed, the Lord de¬ 
clared himself well pleased. And when the poor sinner 
by sovereign grace is first made to drink of the blood of 
the Lamb, he feels constrained to say, the Lord had kept 
the good wine until now; for never before had his soul 
been so satisfied. Oh, precious Jesus ! how sweet is the 
thought! Thy first miracle converted -water into wine. 
Moses’s ministry, under thy commission, was first mani¬ 
fested in turning water into blood. Yes! dear Lord! 
when once thy grace hath wrought upon the heart of a 
sinner, thou makest his most common mercies, like 
water, to become richer than wine. Whereas the law, 
which is the ministration of death as long as the poor 
sinner continues under its power, makes all his enjoy¬ 
ments to partake of the curse. Oh for continued mani¬ 
festations of thy glory, dearest Lord.! Give me to drink 
of thy best wine, my beloved, “ which goeth down sweet¬ 
ly, causing the lips of those that sleep to speak.” 


That will by no means clear the guilty. 

Exod. xxxiv. 7. 

Pause, my soul, over these solemn words ! Will not' 
Jehovah clear the guilty ? And art thou not guilty ? How 
then wilt thou come before God, either now or hereafter ? 
Hearken, my soul, to what thy God hath also said!— 
Deliver him from going down to the pit; I have found 
a ransom. Oh ! soul-reviving, soul-comforting words ! 
Yes, Jesus became my Surety, took my guilt, and bought 
me out of the hands of law and justice. God hath not 
therefore cleared the guilty, but taken ample satisfaction 
on the Person of the sinner’s Surety. Hence now the 
double claim of justice and grace demands the sinner’s 
pardon. Here then, my soul, rest thy present and thine 



JANUARY 10—11. lfj 

everlasting plea. Keep up a daily, an hourly, remem¬ 
brance of it at the mercy-seat. „ While Jesus lives, and 
lives there as thine Advocate, never doubt thy acceptance 
in the beloved. Guilty as thou art in thyself, yet spotless 
in him. The same God which made thy Jesus to be sin 
for thee, who knew no sin, makes thee the righteousness 
of God in him. 


My beloved is gone down into his garden, to 
the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and 
to gather lilies .—Song vi. 2. 

Wonderful condescension! Jesus, the beloved of all 
his people, is indeed come down into his garden the 
Church; for he loves the sacred walks of a spot so near 
and So dear to him, which is at once the gift of his 
Father, and the purchase of his own most precious blood. 
Moreover,- he hath gathered it out of the world’s wide 
wilderness, and separated it as a sacred enclosure by his 
distinguishing grace. Surely then he will visit it! 

Yes ; here he constantly walks : here he comes to ob¬ 
serve the souls of his people as trees of his own right- 
hand planting. He is said to feed here : for the graces 
'of his Spirit, which he calls forth into exercise, are more 
fragrant to him than all the spices of the East. And all 
the beauty and whiteness of the lily is not to be com¬ 
pared to the glory, loveliness, and sweet-smelling savour 
of the righteousness of Jesus, in which he beholds the 
souls of his redeemed as clad. And oh! here Jesus is 
gathering them to himself in all the different degrees of 
their growth, from the first moment of planting them in 
his garden, until he transplant them into the paradise of 
God. Art thou, my soul, in this garden of Jesus ? Art 
thou rejoicing under his gracious hand ? Are the dews of 
his ordinances, in this enclosure of thy Lord, dropping 
upon thee ? _ 

I am the bright and morning star. 

Rev. xxii. 16. 

How oft, in some dark wintry morning like the pre¬ 
sent, have I beheld the morning star shining with loveli- 




16 


JANUARY 12. 


ness, when all the other lights of heaven were put out! 
But how little did I think of thee, thou precious light 
and life of men ! Thou art indeed the bright and Morn¬ 
ing Star in the firmament of thy Church, thy word, and 
in the souls of thy redeemed. Henceforth, dearest 
Jesus, let the morning visit of this sweet Planet to our 
darkened earth remind me of thee, amidst all the gross 
darkness by which, by nature, we are surrounded. Sure 
pledge of day as this beneficent Star is, yet not more 
sure than thou in the day-dawn and day-star of prophecy 
which ministered to thy coming; and, in the twilight of 
grace upon the soul, the forerunner of a glorious day. 
Be thou my morning song, my noontide joy, my evening 
meditation, and midnight light. Through all the wintry 
seasons of my pilgrimage, shine forth, sweet Jesus, upon 
my soul. Oh ! ye sons of sloth, ye children of darkness 
and of night, rouse from your beds of drowsiness, before 
the sleep of death seal up your eyes in everlasting dark¬ 
ness. Jesus, the Morning Star, now shines; and ere 
long Jesus, the Sun of Righteousness, will appear, no 
more to go down, and all the sons of God will shout for 

j°y* 


If thy brother be waxen poor, and hath sold 
away some of his possession, and if any of his 
kin come to redeem it, then shall he redeem 
that which his brother sold.— Levit. xxv. 25. 

How poor was I and wretched before I knew Jesus ! 
I had not only sold some of my possession, hut all. I 
was utterly insolvent, helpless, and ruined : one like the 
Son of man redeemed me. But what a double blessed¬ 
ness was it to my soul, when I discovered that this Re¬ 
deemer was so very near of kin to me that he was my 
brother. Hail, thou precious, precious Jesus ! thou art, 
indeed, a “ Brother born for adversity.” Yes, blessed 
Jesus ! thou art He whom thy brethren shall praise ; and 
all thy Father’s children shall bow down to thee. My 
soul, see to it that thou make the most of this relation¬ 
ship. Never, oh never, will thy Brother suffer his poor 
indigent relation to want any more, after that he hath 



JANUARY 13—14. 


17 


thus redeemed both thyself and thy possession. Now 
do I see why it was the church • so passionately longed 
for Jesus under this tender character., “ Oh ! (said she,) 
that thou wert as my brother that sucked the breasts of 
my mother; when I should find thee without I would 
kiss thee, yea, I should not be despised.” 


Master 1 where dwellest thou ?—John i. 38. 

Is this the earnest inquiry of my soul ? Hear then the 
answer: “ Thus saith the high and lofty One, whose 
name is Holy, I dwell in the high and holy place ; with 
him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive 
the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the 
contrite ones.” Pause, my soul! Are these qualities 
produced by grace in thine heart ? Jesus, Master, make 
me what thou wouldst have me to be; and then come. 
Lord, agreeably to thy promises. Thou hast said, My 
Father will come, and I will come, and make our abode 
with him. And thou hast said, The Holy Ghost shall 
come and abide with you for ever. What, my soul! 
shall I indeed have such glorious Personages for my 
companions ? Behold, Lord, the heaven, and the heaven 
of heavens cannot contain thee ! Oh for grace and a 
sanctity of thought corresponding to such mercies, since 
our bodies are the temple of the Holy Ghost which 
dwelleth in us! 


And she said to the king, It was a true re¬ 
port that I heard in mine own land of thy 
acts, and of thy wisdom. Howbeit, I believed 
not the words until I came, and mine eyes 
had seen it: and behold the half was not 
told me.—1 Kings x. 6, 7. 

If the Queen of the South was so astonished in the 
view of Solomon’s wisdom, what ought to be thy surprise, 
my soul, in the contemplation of Jesus, in whom are hid 
all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge ? When thou 
didst first hear of Jesus, and when constrained by neces¬ 
sity to come to him, a poor, blind, ignorant sinner, how 




18 


JANUARY 15—16. 


little didst thou conceive either of thyself or him. He 
told thee, indeed, all that was in thine heart, and made 
thy very spirit, like hers, to faint within thee, when he 
showed thee thy sin and his salvation. Surely then, and 
often since, even now hast thou been constrained to 
say, as she did, the half was not told thee by others, of 
what sweet discoveries he hath made to thee of himself. 
Think then, my soul, what holy surprise and joy will 
hurst in upon thee in the day when, at the fountain-head 
of glory in his courts above, he will unfold all his beauty, 
love, and wisdom; when thou shalt see him as he is, and 
know even as thou art known ! 


I was brought low, and he helped me. 

Psalm cxvi. 6. 

It is blessed sometimes that the streams of creature 
comforts should be dry, in order to compel us to go to the 
fountain head. When the fig-tree doth not blossom, and 
the fields yield no meat, then a covenant God is precious 
to fly to. My soul 1 say, was not that assault of Satan 
sanctified, when it brought Jesus thereby to thy rescue ? 
Was not that cross sweetly timed, when it tended to wean 
thee from the world ? And wouldst thou have been 
without that sickness, when Jesus sat up by thee, soothed 
thee in thy languor, and made all thy bed in thy sick¬ 
ness ? Well was it for me that Twas brought low, or I 
should never have known in a thousand instances the 
help of my God. Oh then, my soul! like Paul, learn to 
glory in thy infirmities, that the power of Jesus may rest 
upon thee ! 


And Hezekiah rejoiced, and all the people, 
that God had prepared the people: for the 
thing was done suddenly .—2 Chron. xxix. 36. 

Sweet thought ever to keep in view, that it is the Lord 
that prepares the heart, and gives answers to the tongue. 
And oh! how sudden, how unexpected, how unlooked 
for, sometimes, are the visits of his grace! “ Or ever I was 
aware (saith the church) my soul made me like the 




JANUARY 17. 


19 


chariots of Amminadib.” Is my heart cold, my mind 
barren, my frame lifeless ? Do thou then, dearest Lord, 
make me to rejoice in warming my frozen affection, mak¬ 
ing fruitful my poor estate, and putting new life into 
my soul. All I want is a frame of mind best suited to thy 
glory. And what is that? Truly, that when I have 
nothing, feel nothing, can do nothing, am worse than 
nothing, that then, even then, I may be rich in thee 
amidst all my own bankruptcy. This, dear Lord, is what 
I covet. And if thou withholdest all frames which might 
melt, or warm, or rejoice my own feelings, yet if my soul 
still hangs upon thee notwithstanding all, as the vessel 
upon the nail, my God and Jesus will be my rock, that 
feels nothing of the ebbings and flow T ings of the sea 
around, whatever be the tide of my fluctuating affections. 


My beloved standeth behind our wall. He 
looketh forth at the windows, showing himself 
through the lattice .—Song ii. 9. 

It might be truly said, that it was behind the wall of 
our nature the Lord Jesus stood, when, by taking a body 
of flesh, he veiled the glories of his Godhead, during the 
days of his humanity. And may it not be as truly said, 
that it is still, as from behind a wall, all the gracious dis¬ 
coveries he now makes of himself are manifested to his 
people? For what from the dulness of our perception, 
the unbelief and the sins and infirmities of our nature, 
the most we see of our Jesus is but as through a glass 
darkly. But yet, my soul, how sweet are even these 
visits of his love, when we can get though but a glimpse 
of the King in his beauty through the windows of ordi¬ 
nances, or the lattice of his blessed word. Oh! precious 
Jesus ! let thy visits be frequent, increasingly lovely, and 
increasingly glorious, that the souls of thy people may 
increasingly delight in thee. Methinks I w r ould lie 
about the doors, and windows, and courts of thy house, 
and be sending in a wish, and the fervent prayer of a poor 
beggar who is living on thy bounty, that thou wouldst 
come forth to my view and bless me with thy presence, 
until that all intervening mediums of walls and windows 



20 


JANUARY 18—19. 


are thrown down, and Jesus manifests himself to my long¬ 
ing eyes in all his glory. 

Therefore doth my Father love me, because 
I lay down my life that I might take it again. 

John x. 17. 

Mark, my soul, the precious cause thy Jesus here as¬ 
signs for the love of his Father. God the Father not 
only loves God the Son as God, one with him in nature 
and in all divine perfections; but he loves him peculiarly, 
because he voluntarily undertook and accomplished by 
his death the salvation of his people. Now then, my 
soul, make these two sweet improvements from what 
Jesus hath here said. First, think what must have been, 
and now is, the love of thy God and Father to thee and 
every poor sinner, when he truly loves his dear Son be¬ 
cause he became the Saviour of poor sinners. And, se¬ 
condly, think what love Jesus hath shown to poor sinners 
in thus manifesting his mercy in such a way, and how 
dear they must be to the heart of Jesus, which have made 
him dear in the sight of God. My soul! never lose sight 
of this argument when thou goest to the mercy-seat. Tell 
thy God and Father thou art come to ask mercies in his 
name, and for his righteousness’ sake, whom the Father 
loveth on this very account. And oh! how very dear 
should Jesus be to thee for his blood and righteousness, 
who is dear to the Father for the same cause. 


As the new wine is found in the cluster, and 
one saith, Destroy it not, for a blessing is in it; 
so will I do for my servant’s sake, that I may 
not destroy them all .—Isaiah lxv. 8. 

It is blessed to trace our mercies to the fountain head, 
and to find them all folded up from everlasting in Jesus ! 
What was it that preserved our whole nature when blasted 
and withered by the fall ? Was it not because Jesus, the 
promised seed, was in it ? And what is it that preserves 
every individual among the»children of God, during the 
dark season of their unregeneracy, but the same precious 




JANUARY 20—21. 


21 


cause ? He that looks on (and who is this but Christ him¬ 
self?) amidst all our perishing circumstances, by his pow¬ 
erful and all-prevailing intercession commands the de¬ 
stroyer not to touch his people ; for though in themselves 
loathsome, yet in Jesus are they fair and lovely. My 
soul, learn hence thy security. The whole cause for which 
thou wert preserved until called, and, when called, pre¬ 
served through grace unto glory, both in conversion and 
in every after-act of God’s dealings with thee, all refers 
itself into this one source—Destroy it not, there is a bless¬ 
ing in thee, though not from, thee : Jesus is in thee, as 
the new wine is found in the cluster! 


What shall be done unto the man whom the 
king delighteth to honour ?—Esther vi. 6. 

Nay, my soul, ask thine own heart what shall be done 
to the God-man whom Jehovah, the King of kings, de¬ 
lighteth to honour ? Oh for the view of what John saw, 
and to hear what John heard, when he beheld heaven 
opened, and heard the innumerable multitude chanting 
Salvation to God and the Lamb ! Lord, I would say, let 
every knee bow before him, and every tongue confess that 
Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. And 
oh, most gracious Father! dost thou take delight that 
Jesus should be honoured ? Is it thine honour when Jesus 
is honoured; thy glory when Jesus is glorified ? Oh ! 
what wonderful encouragement is this to the faith and 
belief of a poor sinner; that I not only praise my adora¬ 
ble Redeemer when I come to him for all things, and 
trust him for all things ; but these exercises of grace are 
acceptable to God my Father, as they are honourable to 
God the Son. And this is the only way, and a blessed 
way it is indeed, by which a poor sinner can give glory 
to the Father, in believing the record which he hath given 
of his Son. Here then, my soul, do thou daily he found 
in honouring the Glory-man, the God-man Christ Jesus, 
whom God the Father delighteth to honour. 


But for Adam there was not found an help 
meet for him.— Gen. ii. 20. 




22 


JANUARY 22. 


My soul! mark what is here said, for sure it is a sweet 
Scripture. Amidst all the works of God, there was not 
one that could be found an help meet for man. The in¬ 
ferior creatures *couId indeed minister to his bodily*com- 
fort, but not to his soul. Eve herself, with all her love¬ 
liness, must have failed in this particular. Both the 
woman and her husband alike needed this help to the soul. 
How refreshing is the thought, and what a lovely view 
doth it give us of God’s grace and mercy, that in the seed 
of the woman an help, in the fullest sense of the word, 
was found, both for time and eternity. Yes, blessed Jesus! 
in thee we trace this wondrous gift of God. Pause then, 
my soul! and add this thought to the vast account: The 
same love which fitted thee with an help meet in a. Saviour, 
hath fitted thee, and will continue to fit thee, with the 
supply of all thy need. It were to be wished, that every 
child of God would never lose sight of this certain truth 
—that he must have the fittest station in life, the fittest 
frame of mind and of body, the fittest yoke-fellow, the 
fittest circumstances ; in short, the fittest mercies and the 
fittest trials ; because every thing is made subservient to 
the divine glory in Jesus. Sweet thought! He that 
spared not his own Son will, with him, freely give all 
things. 

They shall cry unto the Lord, because of the 
oppressors, and he shall send them a Saviour, 
and a great one, and he shall deliver them. 

Isaiah xix. 20. 

Mark, my soul, the sweet encouragement contained in 
these words. Here is a cry—and it is the cry of the soul; 
for it is directed unto the Lord. There is (as Elihu tells 
us) a cry of nature under oppression ; but as this is not to 
God, it is evident that it never cam efrom God; for he tells 
us, that none of them saith, “ Where is God my Maker, 
who giveth songs in the night ?” Job xxxv. 9. But when 
the Holy Ghost convinceth of sin, and puts a cry in the 
heart by reason of it, he convinceth also of the righteous¬ 
ness of Jesus. Hence the difference of those cries is as 
wide as the East is frofn the West. Mark, therefore, my 
soul, this distinguishing feature of grace; and see whether 



JANUARY 23. 


23 


thy cries are praying cries, and not complaining ones. And 
now observe what follows. When poor sinners thus cry 
unto the Lord, he shall send them a Saviour, and a great 
one.* Who but God the Father sent his Son to be the 
Saviour of poor lost sinners ? Was not Jesus a Saviour 
indeed, and a great one ? Who but He could deliver 
the sinner from destruction ? And remark, further, the 
absolute certainty of the promise ; for it is said, He shall 
deliver them. Yes, blessed Jesus! thy deliverance is sure; 
thy salvation certain. Thou hast said, thy sheep shall 
never perish; neither shall any pluck them out of thine 
hand. Pause now, my soul, over this sweet verse. Surely 
in its bosom is folded up the sum and substance of all the 
gospel. Here are all the Persons of the Godhead, en¬ 
gaged for the salvation of every poor crying sinner. Here 
is God the Holy Ghost, agreeably to his blessed office, 
causing the sinner to feel the oppressions of sin, and 
putting a cry in his heart, to the Lord, to be delivered 
from them. Here is God the Father answering that cry, 
in mercy, and sending his almighty Son to be the Saviour 
of the poor sinner. And here is Jesus the Saviour, and a 
great one, saving the poor sinner with an everlasting sal¬ 
vation. Shout then, my soul, and begin the song of 
salvation to God and the Lamb. 


As sin hath reigned unto death, even so might 
grace reign, through righteousness, unto eternal 
life, by Jesus Christ our Lord.— Rom. v. 21. 

Pause, my soul, and put forth thy fullest thoughts in 
the contemplation of those two united sources of thy fe¬ 
licity, marked in this verse : the Father’s eternal purpose 
in the reign of grace; and the everlasting efficacy and 
infinite value of thy Jesus’s righteousness, to eternal life. 
None but God himself can know the fulness and extent 
of either. I am persuaded that angels of light can never 
entertain adequate conceptions of either. The eternal 
purpose of God hath bounded the reign of sin ; it is but 
unto death. But those purposes give a further extent to 
the redemption from death and sin, by Jesus; for the 
glory of Christ’s person, and the worth of his salvation, 
possess, in both, a vast overplus, a redundancy of merit, 



24 


JANUARY 24. 


which brings the redeemed into favour and acceptance in 
Jesus, and with such a title to everlasting felicity, as eter¬ 
nity itself can never exhaust—no, nor fully recompense 
or pay. Oh, for grace to contemplate the love of the 
Father, and of the Son, by this standard! Lord, I would 
be lost, I would be swallowed up, day by day, in the 
unceasing meditation. Dearest, blessed, precious Jesus ! 
give me to think of nothing else; to speak of nothing 
else; but, by faith, to possess in anticipation the joys 
of thy redeemed, until I come, through thee, and in thee, 
to the everlasting enjoyment of them, in thy kingdom of 

glory- _ 

And he showed me Joshua the high-priest 
standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan 
standing at his right hand to resist him. And 
the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke 
thee, O Satan: even the Lord that hath chosen 
Jerusalem, rebuke thee. Is not this a brand 
plucked out of the fire?— Zech. iii. 1, 2. 

Who shall say, how many such transactions as these 
are continually going on, for and against the people of 
God, in the court of heaven, while we, upon earth, are 
unconscious either of our misery or mercy. The Holy 
Ghost was graciously pleased to have this made known 
to the church. And John had it again in commission to 
tell the church, that a song in heaven was sung at the 
expulsion of the devil from heaven, because the accuser 
of the brethren was cast down. My soul! doth he that 
first tempts thee, then become thine accuser ? Is he car¬ 
rying on this practice day and night, before God ? Arid 
while Satan is thine accuser, is Jesus thine advocate ? 
Oh! precious, precious Lord ! how little hath my poor, 
ignorant, and unthinking soul been meditating on thee, 
in this thy merciful, sweet, and gracious office. Oh! 
glorious thought! Now I see a blessedness in that Scrip¬ 
ture which I have often read with indifference in times 
past: “ If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the 
Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is (for God 
my Father hath sent him forth so) the propitation for our 



JANUARY 25. 


25 


* sins.” Hail, holy, wonderful Counsellor! Condescend, 
thou mighty Pleader, still to take up my cause. Oh! 
may I behold thee often in this high office ! Oh! may 
I often hear thee with the ear of faith, and my whole soul 
going forth in love towards thee, while thou art pointing 
to my poor soul, and saying, “ Hath not God the Father 
chosen this brand plucked from the fire ? Take away the 
filthy garments from him. I have caused thine iniquity 
to pass from thee.” _ 

This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all 
acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the 
world to save sinners.—1 Timothy i. 15. 

Hark, my soul, to the proclamation from heaven ! Is 
this the faithful saying of a faithful God ? Surely, then, 
thou mayst well regard it; for it is for thy life. And if 
it be worthy of all acceptation, it must be eminently so 
of thine; for thou hast been a transgressor from the 
womb. But did Jesus indeed come to save sinners ? 
Yes! so the proclamation runs. Sinners, enemies to 
God. Jesus, it is said, received gifts for the rebellious, 
that the Lord God might dwell among them. And with 
that tenderness which distinguished his character, he said 
himself, that he came not to call the righteous, but sin¬ 
ners to repentance. Well then, my soul, upon this war¬ 
rant of the faithful word of a faithful God, wilt thou not 
so fully rely as to believe unto salvation ? If any inquiries 
arise contrary to this belief, let this be thine answer:— 
Christ came to save sinners: that’s enough for me ; for 
I am one. God’s salvation is said to be for enemies: that 
is my name by nature. Jesus received gifts for the re¬ 
bellious : to this character I plead also guilty. If men 
or devils would endeavour to work unbelief in my heart, 
this is my answer:—Christ came to save sinners. Let 
those that never felt sin, and consequently know not the 
need of a Saviour, stay and argue the point as they may: 
my soul’s eternal welfare is concerned, and I will not 
lose a moment to close with the heavenly proposal. Lord 
Jesus, thou waitest to be gracious ! The faithful saying of 
my God I accept on my bended knees. It is indeed wor¬ 
thy of all acceptation, and, above all, of mine. Here, 



26 


JANUARY 26—27. 


while upon earth, will I proclaim thy praise; and, in 
heaven, the loudest of all voices must he mine, that 
Christ came to save sinners, of whom I am chief. 

And they said one to another, Did not our 
heart burn within us while he talked with us 
by the way, and while he opened to us the 
Scriptures ?— Luke xxiv. 32. 

Ought not the disciples of Jesus to do now, as the dis¬ 
ciples of Jesus did then ? What but of Jesus should we 
speak of by the way ? Methinks the Lord’s people, and 
especially when coming from the Lord’s house, should be 
distinguished from the frothy conversation of mere carnal 
worshippers. I would, by talking of Jesus, invite him 
to mingle with us, and open to our understandings the 
Scriptures. I would therefore sometimes ask one, and 
another, when returning from the house or the table of 
the Lord, How went the matter with your soul to-day ? 
I pray you tell me ; Was the King at court? Did he 
receive petitions ? Did he answer prayers ? Were you 
refreshed; were any healed ; any comforted ; any made 
joyful in his house of prayer ? Surely we might hope, 
by such edifying inquiries, each would help his fellow. 
And He, of whom it is said, the Lord hearkened and 
heard, when of old the people of God were often talking 
one to another, would again draw nigh, and make the 
heart burn with the sweet manifestations of his love. 
But chiefly, blessed Master! if I meet with none to ask 
whether they have seen the King in his beauty, give me 
to taste of the sweet savour of thy grace myself: come 
to me, Lord, in the refreshing, strengthening, heart¬ 
warming, soul-rejoicing, manifestations of thy presence ; 
for thy love is better than wine; and the very crumb 
from under thy table is more delicious than the honey 
and the honey-comb. 

He shall glorify me; for he shall receive of 
mine, and shall show it unto you.— John xvi. 14. 

Some precious souls are at a loss to apprehend how the 
Holy Ghost makes application of Jesus, and his benefits, 




JANUARY 28. 


27 


to his people. Hence they ask, how am I to know that 
the righteousness of Jesus, and the blood of Jesus, are 
applied to me ? But be not thou, my soul, ignorant of so 
important a matter, on the clear apprehension of which 
thy daily comfort depends. Attend, my soul, to what 
thy Jesus saith in those precious words ; and, under the 
blessed Spirit’s teaching, the matter will appear abun¬ 
dantly plain. He shall glorify me, saith Jesus. And 
doth not the Holy Ghost do this in every believer’s view, 
when he gives the soul to see that all that vast extent of 
redemption blessings, which the Father treasured up in 
his dear Son for poor sinners, flows immediately from 
Jesus ? And observe, the Holy Ghost doth not at first 
show the sinner that all result from the everlasting love 
and grace, and purpose of God the Father; but he leads 
the sinner to view them and receive them as the blessed 
fruits and effects of Jesus’s mediation; and then opens 
more fully the glory of the Father in the original design 
of them, in this precious way, from everlasting. This is 
indeed to glorify Jesus, and to glorify the Father in him. 
And how are these blessings applied ? The scriptural an¬ 
swer is the best answer:—“ He shall receive of mine,” 
saith Jesus, “ and show it unto you.” And doth not that 
Almighty Teacher do all this most sweetly and effectually, 
when at any time he so holds up the Lord Jesus, in all 
the glories of his person, and in all the beauties of his 
finished work, as to incline the sinner’s heart so to be¬ 
hold the Saviour as to believe in him, and firmly to rely 
upon him! Is not the righteousness of Jesus received, and 
his precious blood applied, when the soul is led to the 
hearty and cordial assurance that that righteousness is 
effectual to justify, and that blood to cleanse from all sin ? 
Yes, precious Jesus ! I praise thee for these blessings in 
thee. I adore thee, thou Holy Spirit, for thy divine 
teafching concerning them. And I glorify thee, thou 
Almighty Father, for thine abundant grace and mercy 
in the gift of thy dear Son. 


As having nothing, and yet possessing all 
things .—2 Cor . vi. 10. 



28 


JANUARY 28. 


My soul, hast thou learnt this holy science ? There 
are three blessed lessons the Holy Ghost teacheth on this 
ground. As , first, The believer is thoroughly emptied 
of himself. Art thou thus taught of God ? Hast thou 
been led to see, to feel, to know, to he convinced, that, 
after all thine attainments, after all thy long standing in 
the school of Jesus, thou hast nothing, canst do nothing, 
art worse than nothing; and, literally, hast no more in 
thyself now to recommend thee to Jesus, than the first 
moment thou didst hear of his name ? This is to have no¬ 
thing. This is to be poor in spirit. Secondly , dost thou 
possess all things in Jesus ? Yes! if so be thou art 
living out of thyself wholly upon him. And how is this 
known ? Nothing more evident. When a sense of my 
emptiness endears to me his fulness; my poverty, his 
riches; my weakness, his strength; my sins, his righte¬ 
ousness ; my guilt, his blood; I truly possess all things, 
as far as I improve what Jesus is to his people, and rest 
upon him and the blessed fruits of his salvation, as God 
the Father designed him, who hath made him wisdom, 
righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, to his 
people. And there is a third precious lesson the Holy 
Ghost teacheth to the poor that have nothing, and yet 
possess all things ; namely, so to possess Jesus himself, 
that he may not only make his poor ones rich in his 
riches, but be himself their treasure ; so to supply them 
not only with what they need, but to be himself their 
fulness; not only to open to them light and life, but to 
be himself both their light and life ; so to impart to them 
salvation, as to show them that he is himself their salva¬ 
tion : and, in short, so to give them present peace, and 
the assurance of everlasting happiness in his blood and 
righteousness, as to give them the perfect enjoyment that 
he is himself both their present and everlasting happiness, 
and their portion for ever! My soul! hast thou learnt, 
and art thou every day more and more learning, these 
precious truths ? Oh ! then, look up to thy Jesus, and 
say with one of old, “ Whom have I in heaven but thee ; 
and there is none upon earth I desire beside thee. My 
flesh and my heart faileth; but thou art the strength of 
my heart, and my portion for ever.” 


JANUARY 29—30. 


29 


If the servant shall plainly say, I love my 
master, my wife, and my children, I will not 
go out free. Then his master shall bring him 
unto the judges; he shall also bring him home 
to the door, or unto the door-post, and his master 
shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he 
shall serve him for ever.— Exodus xxi. 5, 6. 

How sweet is Scripture explained by Scripture. Jesus 
saith, when sacrifice and offering under the law were both 
unprofitable, “ Mine ears hast thou openedor, as it 
might have been rendered, “ Mine ears hast thou digged.” 
Psalm xl. 6. And elsewhere :—“ The Lord God hath 
opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious.” Isaiah 1. 5. 
The Apostle to the Hebrews decidedly explains this in 
reference to Christ, Heb. x. 5. And what was all this 
but to show the voluntary service of Jesus to the office and 
work of the Redeemer ? Was not Jesus, in all that high 
work, the servant of Jehovah ? Though he was in the 
form of God, and with him it was no robbery to be equal 
with God, yet he made himself of no reputation, and 
took upon him the form of a servant. And for whom did 
he this? Was it not, in effect, saying, like the Jewish 
servant which was typical of him, “ I love my Master, 
my Father, in the work of redemption ?” John xiv. 31.— 
“ I love my wife, my church, my spouse.” Song iv. 10.— 
“ I love my children : behold, I and the children whom 
thou hast given me.” Isaiah viii. 18.—I will not go out 
free. Oh ! precious Lord Jesus! well might the Apostle 
say, “ Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved 
the Church and gave himself for it.” Surely it was thy 
love, dearest Lord! to thy Church, that moved thee to 
serve Jehovah, as Israel served for a wife; and for a wife 
kept sheep. Hosea xii. 12. Oh for grace to love thee, 
and to serve thee for ever! 


That in the ages to come he might show 
the exceeding riches of his grace, in his kind¬ 
ness towards us, through Christ Jesus. 

• Ephes. ii. 7. 

3 * 



30 


JANUARY 31. 


Pause, my soul, and gather in all the powers of arith¬ 
metic, and try if thou art able to count what the exceed¬ 
ing riches of God’s grace amount to. Think how great, 
how free, how sovereign, how inexhaustible, how ever¬ 
lasting ! All that a poor sinner hath in tirqe, all that we 
can enjoy to all eternity, all is of grace. And what a 
title hath thy God chosen to he known by among his 
people, when, to make himself known more fully in 
Jesus, he styles himself the God of all grace! All grace ! 
Yes ; all grace, and all sorts and degrees of grace : par¬ 
doning grace, renewing grace, quickening grace, strength¬ 
ening grace, comforting grace; in short, all grace. And 
is all this treasured up in Jesus ? Oh ! then, my soul, 
see that Jesus be thine, and all is thine. And mark this 
down as a sure unerring rule—as grace hath no source 
but in the Father’s love, so the exalting that grace, in 
Jesus, is the Father’s design in salvation. The brightest 
pearl in the Redeemer’s crown is that which shines with 
this inscription: “ To the praise of the glory of his 
grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved.” 
Here, my soul, seek thy daily grace, more earnest than 
thy daily bread. 


What, think ye that he will not come to the 
feast ?—John xi. 56. 

Is this thy inquiry, my soul, when, at any time, thou 
art seeking Jesus in his word, in his ordinances, at his 
table? Will he not come? Will Jesus not be there? 
Think how he hath dealt in times past. Did not Jesus 
rejoice, when the hour arrived for coming into the world 
for salvation ? Doth he not rejoice, when coming to the 
heart of the poor sinner for conversion ? And will he not 
come with joy, in all the renewed visits of his love ? 
Besides—doth not Jesus know that it is a time of need to 
thee ? And hath he not opened a way to the throne of 
grace, on purpose that his poor helpless children might 
come boldly to a throne of grace to obtain help, and find 
grace in every time of need ? Oh! then, mark it down 
as a sure thing, thy Jesus will be there. He spreads the 
feast, and he will be present. • He waits to be gracious; 



FEBRUARY 1. 


31 


waits to be kind to thee. Love is in his heart, and sal¬ 
vation in his hands. Hasten then to his house, to his 
table, to his bosom, to his heart; and say, with the 
Church, “ Come, my beloved, and be thou like a roe, or 
a young hart, upon the mountains of Bether.” 


FEBRUARY. 

And they shall call his name Emmanuel; 
which, being interpreted, is, God with us. 

Matt. i. 23. 

My soul! hast thou never remarked what a peculiar 
beauty and sweetness there is in every name by which 
thy God and Saviour is made known to thee in his holy 
word ? Surely, if nothing more had been intended by it, 
than to identify and prove his sacred Person, one name 
would have answered this purpose : evidently, therefore, 
somewhat of great importance is designed from his many 
names. And depend upon it, my soul, so much loveli¬ 
ness is there in every individual name of thy Jesus; and 
at one time or other, in thy walk of faith, so very much 
wilt thou need every one, and find the preciousness of 
every one, that thou wouldst not part with one of thy* 
Redeemer’s names—no, not for the world. This of Em¬ 
manuel, by which thou art commanded to call him, is a 
sweet one to endear him to thee. Had he not been Em¬ 
manuel, he could not have been Jesus; for none but 
God can save a sinner. And therefore he is called Em¬ 
manuel, which signifies, God with us. Hence, therefore, 
he is God. Put this down, as a glorious truth, in thy 
esteem. God in our nature. God tabernacling in our 
flesh. God in us ! and God in our hearts, the hope of 
glory. It is the Godhead of thy Jesus which gives effi¬ 
cacy and value to every act of redemption. As God, his 
righteousness is the righteousness of God to justify thee. 
Mark that. His sacrifice to atone—His blood to cleanse 
—His grace to bless. All these blessed acts of thy Jesus 
derive efficacy to answer all their glorious purposes, be¬ 
cause they are the acts of God. And remark, my soul, 
yet further, that all that yet remains to be fulfilled, in 



32 


FEBRUARY 2. 


what he hath promised concerning salvation; in now 
pleading thy cause, and hereafter taking thee to glory: 
these cannot fail—because He who hath promised is Em¬ 
manuel. Go on, my soul, one step further, and re¬ 
member that He, whom thou art to call Emmanuel, is 
also God in thy nature. Hence he is so very near and 
dear, in all tender alliances, as to be bone of thy bone, 
and flesh of thy flesh. My soul! never, never lose sight 
of this most sweet and precious name of thy Jesus. Call 
him, as thou art commanded, call his name Emmanuel. 


Seest thou this woman ?—LuJce vii. 44. 

My soul! look at this woman at the feet of Jesus ; for 
thy Jesus bids thee look, and gather instruction from the 
view, as well as the Pharisee. Behold how she wept, how 
she washed the feet of Jesus, and anointed them with 
ointment. These were sweet tokens of her love and ado¬ 
ration. But were these the causes for which she obtained 
forgiveness ? Oh! no. Read what the Lord said to her: 
-—“ Thy faith hath saved thee.” Learn then, my soul, in 
what salvation lies. Love may bring ointment to Jesus. 
Sorrow for sin, when grace is in the heart, will cause 
tears to fall. But faith brings nothing; for it hath no¬ 
thing. It casts itself wholly upon Jesus. Amidst all its 
guilt, and fears, and tears, it is Jesus only to whom faith 
looks. It is Jesus upon whom alone it depends. It 
hath nothing to do with self; neither our own feelings, 
nor the exercise of our graces. These are blessed evi¬ 
dences of the work of the Lord upon the heart; but they 
are not salvation. It is Jesus, all precious, all glorious, 
all suitable Jesus ! He is the One blessed object of faith’s 
joy, and hope, and pursuit, and desire. And, depend 
upon it, thy God and Father in Christ Jesus is more 
pleased, more honoured, by this simple act of faith, upon 
Jesus’s glorious Person and righteousness, than by all 
the tears in the world ; when those tears lead us to place 
a stress upon the effects of faith, instead of hanging 
wholly upon the cause, in the glorious object, Jesus. 
Pause, my soul, over this nice but proper distinction; 



FEBRUARY 3—4. 


33 


and this will be to find comfort alwavs in Jesus. “ Seest 
thou this woman ?” 


Who loved me, and gave himself for me. 

Gal. ii. 20. 

See, my soul, how Paul is for ever using Jesus, and 
feasting for ever upon him. Oh ! seek grace to do the 
same. He saith, Jesus loved him. Jesus the Son of God 
loved Paul. Now love, from any object, is valuable; 
but from the first, and best, and greatest of. all Beings; 
what invaluable love is this ! And who did Christ love ? 
“ Why me,” saith Paul; “ who was a blasphemer, a per¬ 
secutor, and injurious.” And how do you know, Paul, 
that Jesus loved you ? “ He gave himself for me,” saith 
Paul. Gave himself? “Yes! himself. Not his gifts 
only, not his grace, not his mercies, though all creation 
is his. And whatever he gave must have been an unde¬ 
served mercy; for I merited hell, when he bestowed upon 
me heaven. But even heaven, with all its glories, is no¬ 
thing,” saith Paul, “to what Jesus gave me ; for he gave 
himself for me.” Oh! my soul, wilt thou not look up, 
wilt thou not be encouraged to hope, to believe, to hang 
upon Jesus, for the same. Oh! for faith to believe. 
Precious Jesus ! thou Author and Finisher of faith, grant 
me this mercy. And while I read these sweet words con¬ 
cerning thee, who loved and who gave thyself for poor 
lost sinners, oh ! like Paul, and with the same assurance 
of faith, cause me to add-—me, me ; Jesus loved me, and 
gave himself for me. 


The Comforter that should relieve my soul is 
far from me.— Lament, i. 16. 

Whence is it, my soul, that these distressing thoughts 
arise ? Pause, and inquire. Is the Holy Ghost the Com¬ 
forter indeed withdrawn, when Jesus, thy Jesus, sweetly 
and graciously promised that he should abide for ever ? 
This cannot be. Is the righteousness of Jesus less ; or 
hath his blood, to atone and cleanse, lost its efficacy ? 
Oh! no. Jesus’s righteousness, and Jesus’s all-atoning 




34 


FEBRUARY 5. 


propitiation, like the Almighty Author of both, must be 
eternally and everlastingly the same; yesterday, and to¬ 
day, and for ever. Hath God thy Father forgotten to be 
gracious 1 Oh! no. God thy Father proclaimed from 
heaven, that he is well pleased for his dear Son’s righte¬ 
ousness’ sake. And never, never shall a word gone 
out of the Lord’s mouth be altered. From whence, then, 
my soul, is thy leanness, thy fears, and despondency? 
Canst thou not discover ? Oh ! yes. It is all in thyself, 
and thy unbelieving frame. Thou art looking to thyself, 
and not to all-precious Jesus! Thou wantest to feel 
some new frame of thy own; some melting of heart, or 
the like. And if thou couldst be gratified in this, then 
thou wouldst go to Jesus with confidence; and then 
plead, as thou thinkest, Jesus’s name, and blood, and 
righteousness, for acceptance. And doth the want of 
these feelings keep thee back ? Oh ! fie, my soul, is this 
thy love, thy kindness, to thy friend ? Can any thing be 
more plain, than that thou art making a part Saviour of 
thy feelings, and not a whole Saviour of thy Jesus ? No 
wonder thou criest out, the Comforter is far from thee. 
For the Holy Ghost will teach thee, that all comfort is 
only in Jesus. And mark this, my soul, for all future 
occasions :•—If thou wilt seek comfort in any thing out 
of Jesus, though it be in the sweetest frames, as thou 
mayst think, of thine—Jesus, in mercy and love, will 
put thy comforts out of thy reach. Oh ! then, come to 
Jesus poor and needy, with or without frames. Make 
him all, and in all; and He will be thy joy, thy comfort, 
and thy portion for ever. 


In the hand of,a Mediator .—Gal iii. 19. 

The hand of a Mediator was the great blessing every 
enlightened son of Adam, from the fall, sighed after, and 
looked for, in every approach to God. Hence the first 
transgressor, for the want of it, hid himself from the pre¬ 
sence of God amidst the trees of the garden. Hence 
Israel cried out to Moses, “ Go thou near, and hear all 
that the Lord our God shall say; but let not God speak 
with us, lest we die.” And Job longed for a Days-man, 
(that is,) a Mediator, that might lay his hand upon both 



FEBRUARY 6. 


35 


parties. See then, my soul, thy privileges ; for thou hast 
a Mediator, and a glorious One indeed, in whose al¬ 
mighty hand all thy concerns are eternally secured. “Ye 
are come,” saith the apostle: he doth not say, Ye are 
coming; but, Ye are come, “to Jesus, the Mediator of 
the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling.” Oh ! 
then, in all thy approaches, have an eye to Jesus. Put 
all thine affairs into this glorious Mediator’s hand. Re¬ 
member, he wears thy nature, pleads thy cause, takes up 
all thy concerns, and ever liveth to make intercession for 
sinners ; and, therefore, cast all thy care upon him ; for 
he careth for thee. And look to this one grand thing— 
that all thy confidence, and all thy joy, ariseth wholly 
from Jesus’s • person and righteousness ; not from any 
supposed graces, tears, repentance—nor even from faith 
itself, if viewed as an act of thine. Cast aside, as filthy 
rags, all that is thine ; and never, no, not for a moment, 
look at any thing as a procuring cause; but let Jesus 
have all thy confidence, all the glory, and thou wilt have 
all the comfort. Though Satan accuse, though con¬ 
science plead guilty, God’s broken law pronounceth 
condemnation, and justice demands the penalty; Jesus 
hath answered all, and is in the throne to see the issue. 
Oh ! the blessedness of having all in the hands of a Me¬ 
diator ! 


The rich shall not give more, and the poor 
shall not give less, than half a shekel, when 
they give an offering unto the Lord, to make an 
atonement for your souls.— Exod. xxx. 15. 

Pause, my soul, over this sweet Scripture, and mark 
the graciousness of thy God and Father in the blessed 
truth conveyed in it. -What, were all the souls of the 
redeemed charged equally alike in the account of God ? 
Did God thy Father rate them thus ? And did Jesus, thy 
precious Jesus ! purchase all his redeemed with an equal 
price, when he bought them with his blood ? If this be 
so, my soul, it must follow, that thou, a poor unworthy 
creature as thou art, overlooked as thou art by the great 
ones of the earth, and too frequently overlooking in thy- 



36 


FEBRUARY 7. 


self how precious every redeemed soul must be in Jesus’s 
sight, cost as much to Jesus as the soul of Peter or of 
Paul, or of any of the patriarchs, apostles, or prophets. 
O think of this; write it down in the tablets of thy 
remembrance. Will not this tend to endear Jesus yet 
more to thee, and bring home thy Father’s love in the 
strongest affection ? Add one thought more to this pre¬ 
cious relation. If, to Jesus, thy redemption cost as much 
as any one of the redeemed in glory, think, my soul, 
after such a purchase, such a price, will he lose his pro¬ 
perty, will he forego what cost him so dear, and suffer 
one pearl of his mediatorial crown to be wanting ? Add 
another sweet thought, my soul, to this delightful medi¬ 
tation. If, amidst the various inequalities of life, some 
poor and some rich, yet whatever difference was allowed 
or even expected in other offerings, according to the abi¬ 
lities of God’s people ; yet here, as a representation of 
the offering of the soul in Jesus’s purchase, no one dis¬ 
tinction was to be made ; is it not plain that the redemp¬ 
tion by Jesus is in him, and him only; and his righte¬ 
ousness is unto all, and upon all, that believe ; for there 
is no difference ? Dearest Lord ! may my soul never lose 
sight of this blessed equality. Here thou art, indeed, no 
respecter of persons. 


Behold the Lamb of God !—John i. 36. 

Who is it calls upon thee, my soul, to this most grati¬ 
fying and enriching of all employments ? Is it not God 
the Holy Ghost, by the ministry of his servant John ? 
And doth not God thy Father do the same, by the minis¬ 
try of his servant Isaiah, when he bids thee behold Him, 
in whom his soul delighteth ? And is not Jesus himself 
calling, again and again, in the ministry of his word and 
ordinances, upon thy poor forgetful heart, when he saith, 
“ Behold me! behold me ! Look unto me, and be ye 
saved!” And wilt thou not obey the sweet and gracious 
calls on which all thy present peace and everlasting hap¬ 
piness depend? Precious, precious Jesus? Yes, my 
Lord; I would, methinks, so look unto thee, and so be¬ 
hold thee, until my whole heart, and all its affections, 
followed my eyes, and left not a thought behind for a 



FEBRUARY 8. 


37 


single object beside thee. I would eye thee, thou dear 
Redeemer, as the Lamb of God! both where thou once 
wast, and where thou now art, and follow thee whither¬ 
soever thou goest! I would behold thee, as the Lamb of 
God, set up in the decrees of eternity, from everlasting; 
for thou art the Lamb slain from the foundation of the 
world. I would behold thee, set forth in all the repre¬ 
sentations of thy redeeming blood, in the innumerable 
sacrifices of the law, and in the Lamb of the morning, 
and the Lamb of the evening, through the intermediate 
ages, to thy coming. I would behold thee, O thou un¬ 
equalled pattern of excelling meekness; when, in the 
days of thy flesh, thou walkedst through the streets of 
Jerusalem; and when, as a lamb, thou wast led to the 
slaughter. I would eye thee, O thou Lamb of God! until 
my eye-strings could hold no longer, when, as the Lamb 
of God, and my soul’s Surety, thou didst hang upon the 
tree, putting away sin, and satisfying divine justice by 
the sacrifice of thyself. And never would I take off my 
eyes from thy cross, until called by thee, to behold thee 
as the Lamb in the midst of the throne, where thou art 
feeding thy church above, and dispensing blessings to all 
thy church below. Yes, yes, blessed, triumphant Lamb 
of God ! thou art the Lamb still. Change of place hath 
made no change in thy nature, or thy love, or the efficacy 
of thy redemption. Thou still appearest as a lamb that 
hath been slain. And still thou bearest, on thy glorified 
body, the marks of thy redemption. Shall I not behold 
thee then, dearest Jesus ? Shall I not unceasingly behold 
thee thus called upon by the Father, Son, and Spirit; 
and thus finding every thing that can satisfy my most 
unbounded desires, for time and for eternity ? Help me, 
blessed Jesus ! so to look, and so to live upon thee ; and 
O do thou behold me, and bid me live, and make me 
thine for ever. 


Who shall lay any thing to the charge of 
God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who 
is he that condemneth ? It is Christ that died; 
yea, rather, that is risen again; who is even at 
4 



38 


FEBRUARY 9. 


the right hand of God, who also maketh inter¬ 
cession for us.— Romans viii. 33, 34. 

See, my soul, what a blessed security thou hast. Here 
is God justifying; Christ dying; the Holy Ghost rais¬ 
ing the sinner’s surety from the grave, as an evidence that 
the debt of sin is cancelled; and Jesus ever living to see 
the travail of his soul, and be satisfied in the redemption 
of his people. What, then, shall rob thee of thy com¬ 
fort, while thou art triumphing in thy Jesus ? Sin shall 
not; for Jesus hath put it away by the sacrifice of him¬ 
self. The law cannot; for thy Jesus hath answered all 
its just demands. Divine justice cannot; for God him¬ 
self justifieth. Death and hell cannot; for Jesus hath con¬ 
quered both, In short, all that stood in thy way, the Son 
of God hath removed. And wilt thou not, my soul, 
triumph in the great salvation of thy Jesus ? Surely the 
poor debtor may walk as boldly before the prison door 
as the king in his palace, when his debts are paid. No 
bailiff can touch him; no mittimus again confine him. 
If the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed. 
Triumph then, my soul! in the liberty wherewith thy 
Jesus hath made thee free; only be sure that all thy 
triumphs are in him. Let him have all the glory, who hath 
wrought the whole redemption. Make thy Jesus all; for 
he hath done all for thee ; and then sweetly repose thy¬ 
self upon the person and work of thy Beloved. Let the 
adversary accuse, or opposition arise from without or 
within, yet, saith an apostle, here is the answer:—“ God 
justifieth; for Christ died.” Oh! how precious it is, after 
all the storms, and winds, and boisterous tossings of law 
and conscience, to enter into that harbour which is Jesus. 
“We, which have believed,” saith the apostle, “ do enter 
into rest.” He is indeed the rest, wherewith he causeth 
the weary to rest; and he is the refreshing. 


The Lamb that is in the midst of the throne 
shall feed them.— Rev. vii. 17. 

My soul! thou hast not forgotten what thou wert so 
lately engaged in, a day or two since, at the call of God 
the Holy Ghost, to behold the Lamb of God. And art 



FEBRUARY 10. 


39 


thou not still looking at him, gazing upon him, feasting 
thine eyes, thine heart, all thy affections, upon him, and 
following him, in the sweet contemplation, from his 
cross to his crown ! Come then, my soul, harp again 
and again upon this blessed string; for sure it is most 
blessed. And remember, my soul, as thou lookest, thy 
Jesus is in the midst of the throne—that is, the very 
centre of it. In Him dwelleth all the fulness of the 
Godhead bodily. For what is the Lamb of God, but 
God revealing himself in him, to thee, my soul, and all 
his people ? And remember, also, that the throne in the 
midst of which thy Jesus is, in Scripture, is called the 
throne of God and the Lamb, on purpose to show thee 
that it is one and the same. And what is that throne, my 
soul, but a throne of grace; a mercy-seat, and place for 
the poor and the needy to approach, to obtain mercy, and 
find grace to help in time of need ? Flee to it, my soul! 
haste ! stay not: and remember, as Jesus is in the midst 
of it, it is accessible every way, and all around. The 
poor timid believer, that fears to go in front, may, like 
the woman in the gospel, who came behind, touch but 
Jesus’s garment: efficacy from the Lamb is in every di¬ 
rection. If Jesus was not there, it might be alarming to 
approach; but, remember, the Lamb is there—and he 
is the Lamb of God. Sweet encouraging thought! Come 
then, my soul, look to the Lamb. See, by faith, how 
he feeds the church which is above. And will he not 
feed the church below? Oh! yes. His flesh is meat 
indeed; and his blood is drink indeed. He is the hea¬ 
venly Pelican, that feeds his young wiih his blood. And 
oh! what spiritual food, what divine food, what suitable 
food, what soul-satisfying, soul-ravishing, soul strength¬ 
ening food ! Precious Lamb of God ! every thing in thee 
is food. Feed my hungry soul, 0 thou- that art thine 
midst of the throne, and send me not empty away ! 


Unto you, therefore, which believe, he is 
precious.—1 Peter ii, 7. 

My soul! art thou anxious to know whether thou art 
a true believer in Jesus ? Try it, then, by this mark which 
the Holy Ghost hath given by his servant the Apostle. 



40 


FEBRUARY 11. 


Do you believe in Jesus for life and salvation? Yes, 
truly; if so be he is precious. Look at him then. Is 
Jesus precious in his person, precious in his work, pre¬ 
cious in his offices, precious in his relations, precious in 
his whole character ? Do you know him, so as to love 
him, to live to him, to rejoice in him, and to cast your 
whole soul upon him, for life and salvation ? Do you 
accept him as the Father’s gift, the Sent, the Sealed, 
the Anointed, the Christ, of the Father ? Is he so pre¬ 
cious that there is nothing in him but what you love— 
nothing that you would part with ? His cross is dear, as 
well as his crown ? Afflictions with Jesus, sweeter than 
prosperity without him? Pause over these questions. 
Recollect that there is nothing out of Jesus that can be 
truly satisfying. Thy dearest earthly friend, however 
sweet, hath yet some tinge, some alloy, of what is not 
sweet. But there is no mixture in thy Jesus ; all is pure 
and lovely, and transcendently glorious. He is, as one 
of old described him, a sea of sweetness, without a single 
drop of gall. And now, my soul, what sayest thou con¬ 
cerning Jesus ? Is he precious to thee under all these, 
and a thousand more distinguishing excellencies ? Say, 
if Jesus were to be bought, wouldst thou not sell all 
thou hast to buy? Were he to be sold, wouldst thou 
not rather lose thy life than part with him? Surely, then 
he must be precious to thee : and, as such, thou art a 
believer; for the Apostle has commanded us to say that 
unto them which believe, he is precious. Take comfort 
thou, my soul; He that is precious now, will be so for 
ever. Yes, precious Lord ! there is none in heaven, or 
earth I desire beside thee ! 


Let mine outcasts dwell with thee, Moab : 
be thou a covert to them from the face of the 
spoiler .—Isaiah xvi. 4. 

When a man’s ways please the Lord, he maketh even 
his enemies to be at peace with him. Moab was the 
sworn foe of Israel; but yet Moab shall be overruled to 
shelter and feed Israel. The world, like Moab, dislikes 
God’s people : but as God’s people must sojourn in the 
world, until the time comes for God to take them home, 



FEBRUARY 12. 


41 


they shall he taken care of. “ Let mine outcasts dwell 
with thee, Moab;” house them as travellers in an inn. 
See that they have a lodging. Let their bread be given,- 
and their water sure. “They are poor; but they are my 
poor,” saith our God. “They are outcasts; but they 
are mine outcasts.” O precious Jesus ! I see thou wilt 
still own thy people. And wherefore is it, dearest Lord? 
Not for their worth, not for their deservings, not for their 
adherence to thee; but because thou hast loved them; 
because the Father hath given them to thee, and thou 
hast purchased their persons, redeemed them, and washed 
them, and made them thine. Grant, dearest Lord ! that 
though we are constrained to dwell with Mesech, and to 
have our habitation among the tents of Kedar; though 
we are made as the filth of the earth, and the oflscouring 
of all things—yet never, never may we forget our rela¬ 
tionship to thee ! Though outcasts, yet Jesus’s outcasts. 
Be thou, Lord, our hiding-place, our covert, in the midst 
of Moab : and so shall we be free from every spoiler; 
thou wilt be to us all we need—rivers of waters in a dry 
place, and as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. 


And the Lord shut him in.— Gen. vii. 16. 

It was a sweet invitation to the patriarch Noah, when 
the Lord called him to the ark. Jehovah did not say, 
Go thou into the ark; but “ Come.” So saith Jesus to 
his people : “ Come with me, from Lebanon, my spouse; 
with me, from Lebanon.” Yes, precious Jesus 1 to be 
with thee is heaven; for thou thyself art the heaven of 
the soul. But observe, further, my soul: when Noah had 
entered the ark, what kept him there ? “ The Lord shut 
him in.” Yes ! neither bolts nor bars were his security; 
but God himself, in his covenant engagements, kept him. 
The Patriarch could no more get out, than the unbeliev¬ 
ing carnal throng (who perhaps hung about the ark when 
they saw the flood arise, and felt its power) could get in. 
Precious Jesus ! and what is it keeps thy people now ? 
Is it not thyself? Are not thy redeemed eternally secure 
in thee, and thy blood and righteousness, as Noah in the 
ark ? Yes ! thou who hast the key of all things ; thou 
openest, and none shutteth; thou shuttest, and none 

* 



FEBRUARY 13. 


openeth. In thee my soul is kept secure ; for the Lord 
Jehovah hath shut me in: and I shall ride out all the 
storms, and floods of sin and Satan, and, Noah-like, rise 
above the fountains of the greatest deeps, being shut in 
the ark Christ Jesus. 


Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of 
the law, being made a curse for us. 

Gal. iii. 13. 

Pause, my soul, and contemplate the unspeakable 
mercies contained in those precious words! However 
little thou hast regarded them, yet they contain in their 
bosom the*whole blessings of the gospel. It is to Jesus, 
in this one glorious act of his faith, should the sinner be 
continually looking. There, (the believer should say,) 
there hangs my hope, my joy, my confidence. Christ 
hath redeemed me from the curse of the law, being made 
a curse for me. Now, my soul, observe how Jesus ac¬ 
complished this great mercy for thee. Whatever Christ 
redeemed the sinner from, he became that for him. In 
the act of redemption, by substituting himself in the 
sinner’s place and room, he redeemed him from that place 
and room, by standing there himself. Hence, as the 
sinner stood before God, accursed by reason of sin; so 
Christ, by taking the sinner’s sin upon himself, and stand¬ 
ing in his stead to answer for it, was made a curse also. 
If, therefore, Christ will come under the law for sinners, 
that law will have as much to demand of him, as of sinners. 
If Jesus, from his boundless love and mercy, will take 
the sinner’s curse upon himself, the law will speak as 
harsh to him as the sinner that is under the curse ; and 
not only speak, but exact from him all that could be 
demanded from the sinner. Pause, my soul! And did 
Jesus, thy Jesus, thus stand, thus be considered; and 
was he made a curse for thee ? Did he really, truly, 
suffer the cursed sinner’s punishment, and die, the just 
for the unjust, to bring sinners unto God? Look to it 
then, my soul; he hath bought thee out, paid the full 
ransom, and taken away both sin, and the curse of sin, 
by the sacrifice of himself. Shout, my soul! shout sab 



FEBRUARY 14. 


43 


vation to God and the Lamb! Say, as Paul, « Christ 
hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made 
a curse for us.” 


For where two or three are gathered to¬ 
gether in my name, there am I in the midst of 
them.— Matt, xviii. 20. 

What an encouraging declaration is this of our Jesus, 
to prompt the faithful to meet together on the Lord’s 
Day ; or, in short, any day, at all times, and all places. 
Observe, my soul, how sweet the Lord speaks:—“ There 
am I in the midst of my people; not by my word only, 
not as represented in ordinances, not by the ministry of 
my servants, but I myself spiritually. The calls, the 
motions of grace felt in the heart, the tender tokens, the 
manifestations of my suitableness, fulness, all-sufficiency; 
these are all truly mine, which, by the influences of my 
Spirit, I communicate among you.” O precious, con¬ 
descending Lord ! now we see what it is that constitutes 
a true Gospel Church—even thy presence. Thou art the 
beauty and glory of it; and from thee alone all power 
and efficacy is derived. Thy churches are, indeed, as 
thou hast taught, the golden candlesticks; and thy minis¬ 
ters are as stars in thy right hand. But the candlesticks 
have no light, until thou, by thy presence, enlighten 
them ; neither do thy servants, the ministers, hold forth 
the light of thy word profitably, until thou openest the 
heart as thou didst poor Lydia’s, to receive the things de¬ 
livered to the salvation of the soul. Ye ministers of my 
God! draw all your comfort and encouragement, amidst 
all the difficulties you meet with, both from within and 
without in your sacred service, from this sweet assurance 
of Jesus. Whenever you go up to the assemblies of God’s 
people, hear the footsteps of your Master behind you. 
And ye, who pant after sweet fellowship and communion 
with Jesus, seek it by the footsteps of the flock beside the 
Shepherd’s tents, where Jesus feeds his sheep. Who 
would be absent from that blessed place where Jesus 
comes to bless ? And oh! what encouragement to the 
faithful to bring with them their unawakened friends and 



44 


FEBRUARY 15. 


relations, to the assemblies which Jesus honours with his 
presence. Surely He, who wrought salvation in our hearts, 
can work the same in theirs. No wonder, when such 
mercies Jesus brings with him to his people, that the heart 
of David fainted, to go up to the house of the Lord, that 
he might see the power and glory of Jesus, as he had seen 
it in the sanctuary. _ 

With purpose of heart they would cleave 
unto the Lord .—Acts xi. 23. 

My soul! art thou.cleaving to thy Jesus? It is a grand 
thing so to do ; and it must be from continued supplies 
of grace, in Jesus, if thou art really doing it. A few 
points will show. Is Jesus thy all ? Is he uppermost in 
all things ? Faith hath for its one object Jesus. Let a 
true believer be wheresoever he may—at home, or abroad; 
alone, or in company; the closet, or the church—it is all 
the same, if he really, truly, cleaves to the Lord with pur¬ 
pose of heart: there is a looking unto Jesus for all things, 
and in all things. Again, if I cleave to the Lord, I shall 
do no one thing but in his strength, and deliberately de¬ 
sire nothing but for his glory. The graces of the Holy 
Spirit, implanted in the souls of the faithful, are fed and 
kept alive, and brought forth into exercise, by the com¬ 
munications of Jesus. My joy, then, is in Jesus ; not in 
myself, not in what I feel. These feelings of mine may 
languish; but while I cleave to the Lord, my spiritual 
joy will always be the same. “From me,” saith that sweet 
Lord, “ from me is thy fruit found !” Once more—if I 
cleave unto Jesus, shall I not find an increasing love for 
him, an increasing desire for him, and an increasing 
communion with him, from increasing knowledge of him, 
and of his love and preciousness ? To be sure I shall. 
Well then, my soul, art thou indeed cleaving to him? 
Think how precious Jesus was, when first thou wast 
brought so savingly acquainted with him as to see thy 
need of him, and his suitableness and disposition to save 
thee. Dost thou think of these blessings less now ? 
Oh! no. You love him more, because you know your 
need of him more, and therefore cleave to him the closer. 
Lastly, to add no more—Doth my soul truly cleave to 



FEBRUARY 16—17. 


45 


Jesus ? Why, then, I am loosening more and more from 
every thing beside. If Jesus hath my whole heart, then 
is the world and all creature idols thrown down. One 
Lord Jesus Christ is portion enough for a whole ran¬ 
somed church of God to live upon to all eternity. In 
Him there is portion enough for me. Oh! then, precious 
Lamb of God ! be thou my portion; for in thee I have 
all things. 


Help, Lord ! for the godly man ceaseth : for 
the faithful fail from among the children of men. 

Psalm xii. 1. 

My soul! art thou sometimes distressed in the recol¬ 
lection of the languishing state of Zion ? Are faithful 
men, faithful ministers, taken away from the evil to 
come ? And dost thou sometimes, at a mercy-seat, feel 
thvself drawn out in fervent prayer, that the Lord would 
fill up the vacancies he is making by death, and raise up 
pastors after his own heart, and believers who love Zion, 
to supply their place ? Take comfort, my soul; thy 
Jesus loves Zion; and she is still engraven on the palms 
of his hands, and her walls are continually before him. 
Jesus must have a church in the earth as long as the sun 
and moon endureth. Remember, the reins of govern¬ 
ment are in Jesus’s hands; and however the enemies of 
Zion, like wild horses, would ride over the children of 
Zion, Jesus puts his bridle in their jaws, and will turn 
them hack by the way they came. Remember, also, 
that the care of the church is with Jesus. .He saith him¬ 
self concerning it, “ I the Lord do keep it. I will water 
it every moment; lest any hurt it, I will keep it night 
and day.” Blessed Jesus ! I would say then; Zion is, 
and must be, safe. Die who may, Jesus lives ; and to 
his church he saith, “ Because I live, ye shall live also.” 
Here then is enough for me, for the church, and for every 
child of God. My seed, saith JesuS, shall serve him. 
Hallelujah. _ 


Knowing that whilst we are at home in the 
body, we are absent from the Lord; we are 




46 


FEBRUARY 18. 


confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent 
from the body, and to be present with the Lord. 

2 Cor. v. 6, 8. 

My soul! is this thy real language ? Pause. Whilst 
thou art at home in the body, how dark and dim, how 
few and short are all the glimpses thou hast by faith of 
Jesus. What from the workings of corruption, the claims 
of the body, the concerns of the world, and the number¬ 
less, nameless, obstructions which surround thee, how 
little dost thou know of Jesus. And wouldest thou desire 
for ever to live at this distance ? Think what the first 
view only of Jesus will be, when thou art once absent 
from the body, and present with the Lord ! What holy 
transports will break in upon the soul, when all the lines 
of love meet in one centre, to manifest the Lord Jesus 
to thy view in his redeeming fulness ! If here below a 
single hour’s enjoyment of thy Jesus, through the medium 
of his word or ordinances, be so precious that no felicity 
on earth can equal, what must a whole eternity be, in the 
full uninterrupted vision of God and the Lamb ? If, 
through the influences of thy blessed Spirit, dearest Jesus, 
the tear of joy, and love, and praise, will fall in the con¬ 
templation of thy Person and work, surely all the flood¬ 
gates of the soul will open when I see thee as thou art, 
and come to dwell with thee for ever. Oh ! for grace, then, 
to long for that blessed hour, when, absent from the body, 
I shall be present with the Lord ; when I shall behold thy 
face in righteousness, and shall he satisfied when I awake 
with thy likeness. 


And I will make an everlasting covenant 
with them, that I will not turn away from them 
to do them good: but I will put my fear in 
their hearts, that they shall not depart from 
m e.—Jeremiah xxxii. 40. 

Precious consideration to a poor exercised soul, that a 
Covenant God, in Christ, hath not only engaged for 
himself, but undertaken for his people also. God will 
not; and his people shall not. My soul! take a short 



FEBRUARY 19. 


47 


view of the foundation of this precious, precious promise. 
It is God’s everlasting love, everlasting grace, everlasting 
covenant. And remember, the Author of it is not change¬ 
able as thou art. With Him is no variableness, neither 
shadow of turning. Moreover, it is purchased by the 
blood, sealed in the blood, and made eternally firm and 
sure in the blood and righteousness of Christ; the ever¬ 
lasting efficacy of which is as eternal as the Author of it. 
Neither is this all. There is a union with the Person of 
thy Jesus. The head without a body would be incom¬ 
plete ; and, united to his Person, the believer is interested 
in sill his graces, fulness, suitableness, all-sufficiency: so 
that this preserves grace from perishing, because it is an 
everlasting spring. And Jesus lives to see it all complete. 
His intercession answers every want, and supplies every 
necessity. Neither is this all; for God the Holy Ghost 
sets to his seal, in the heart, that God is true. His quick¬ 
ening, convincing, converting, manifesting grace, in the 
soul, in taking of the things of Jesus, and showing to the. 
heart, becomes an earnest and pledge in assurance ; and 
all tending to confirm, that God will not, and his re¬ 
deemed ones shall not turn away, but his covenant re¬ 
main everlasting. 


The prisoner of Jesus Christ.— Ephes. iii. 1. 

My soul! art thou a prisoner of Jesus Christ ? See to 
it, if so, that, like the Apostle, thou art bound with Jesus’s 
chains for the hope of Israel. They are golden chains. 
When Paul and Silas were fast bound in the prison, the 
conciousness of this made them sing for joy. Men have 
their prisons and God hath his. But here lies the vast 
difference ; no bars or grates, among the closest prisons 
of men, can shut God out from comforting his prisoners ; 
and, on the contrary, nothing can come in to afflict Jesus’s 
prisoners, when he keeps them by the sovereignty of his 
grace, and love, and power. Blessed Lord ! look upon 
* thy poor prisoner; and come in, dear Lord! with thy 
wonderful condescension, and do as thou hast said: sup 
with him, and cause him to sup with thee. 




48 


FEBRUARY 20—21. 


I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; 
show me wherefore thou contendest with me. 

Job x. 2. 

My soul! art thou at any time exercised with any 
trying dispensations ? Doth thy God, thy Jesus, seem to 
hide his face from thee ? Are his providences afflicting ? 
Art thou brought under bereaving visitations ? Is thy 
earthly tabernacle shaken by sickness ? Are the pins of 
it loosening ? Are thy worldly circumstances pinching ? 
Is prayer restrained ? O, refer thy state, my soul, be 
it what it may, to Jesus ! Tell thy Lord, that, of all 
things, thy greatest dread and fear is, lest thou shouldest 
he mistaken concerning his love to thee. Say, as Job 
did, “ Show me wherefore thou contendest with me.” 
There is an Achan in the heart. Thy Jesus doth not 
withdraw for nothing. Love is in his lips. Salvation 
fills the whole soul of Jesus. Fly to him, then, my soul! 
Say to him, Lord, make me what thou wouldest have 
me to be. Oh! for a word, a whisper of Jesus. I 
cannot live without it. I dare not let thee go, except 
thou bless me. Not all the past enjoyments, experiences, 
manifestations will do me good, until thou again shine 
in upon my soul. O come then, Lord Jesus! I fly to 
thee as my God, my Saviour, my portion, my all. Never, 
surely, wilt thou say to the praying seed of Jacob, seek 
ye my face in vain. 


Saw ye him whom my soul loveth ? 

Song iii. 3. 

Is Jesus still the object of my soul’s warmest affection; 
the subject of all my thoughts, all my discourse, all my 
inquiry ? O ! yes, my soul; whom else, in heaven, or, 
in earth, wilt thou seek after but Him ? Tell me, ye 
ministers of Jesus, ye watchmen upon the walls of Zion, 
“ saw ye Him whom my soul loveth ?” Ye followers of 
the Lamb, can ye show me where Jesus feedeth his flock 
at noon ? Or rather, ye in the upper regions, where the 
Son of God manifesteth himself in the full glories of his 
Person; ye spirits of just men made perfect, ye who have 
known, while sojourning here below, what feeling of the 



FEBRUARY 22. 


49 


soul that is, which, in the absence of Jesus, is longing 
for his appearance : ye angels of light also, ye who see 
him without an intervening medium—tell him, I beseech 
you, how my soul panteth for his visits : tell him that a 
poor pensioner, well known to my Lord, is waiting his 
morning alms: nay, tell him that I am sick of love, long¬ 
ing for a renewed view of his Person, his pardoning love, 
the renewals of his grace. Jesus knoweth it all before 
you tell him, and he will send his gifts and mercies— 
nay, he will come himself; for he hath assured me of 
this: he hath said, “ If a man love me, my Father will 
love him, and we will come and make our abode with 
him.” Behold, my soul, thy Jesus is come ! I hear his 
well-known voice ; he saith, “ I am come into my gar¬ 
den.” Now will I hold him and not let him go, and pray 
him not to be as a wayfaring man that turneth in to tarry 
for a night, but abide with me until the breaking of the 
everlasting day. 


Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is li¬ 
berty .—2 Cor. iii. 17. 

What liberty, my soul, art thou brought into by thine 
adoption into the family of God in Christ ? Not from the 
assaults of sin; for thou still carriest about with thee a 
body of sin under which thou groanest. Not from the 
temptations of Satan; for he is still levelling at thee 
many a fiery dart. Not from outward troubles ; for the 
world thou art still in, and findest it a wilderness state. 
Not from inward fears; for thine unbelief begets many. 
Not from the chastisement of thy wise and kind Father; 
for then many a sweet visit of his love, under the rod, 
would be unknown. Not from death ; for the stroke of 
it thou must one day feel; though, blessed be Jesus, he 
hath takenjDUt the sting in his blood and righteousness. 
What liberty, then, is it my soul, thou enjoyest ?. What 
hath the Spirit of the Lord, as a spirit of revelation dis¬ 
covering to thee the glory of Jesus, and thy interest in 
him brought thee into ? Oh! who shall write down the 
vast, the extensive account of thy freedom ? Say, my 
soul, hath not the sight of God’s glory in Christ freed 
thee from the curse of the law, from the guilt of the law, 
5 



50 


FEBRUARY 23. 


from the dominion of sin, from the power of Satan, from 
the evil of unbelief in thine own heart, from the terrors of 
justice, from the alarms of conscience, from the second 
death? Say, my soul, doth not the sight of Jesus dying 
for thee, rising for thee, pleading for thee, enlarge thine 
heart and loose thy bonds, and shake off all thy fetters, 
and all thy fears ? Doth not Jesus in the throne give thee 
liberty to come to him, to call upon him, to unbosom 
thyself unto him, to tell him all thy wants, all thy ne¬ 
cessities, and to lean upon his kind arm in every hour of 
need ? Shout, my soul! and echo to the Apostle’s words, 
“ Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is libertyliberty 
to approach, liberty to plead, liberty to pray, liberty to 
praise and adore the whole Persons of the Godhead, for 
having opened the prison-doors, and given thee freedom 
in Christ Jesus. 


Hath a nation changed their gods, which are 
yet no gods! But my people have changed 
their glory for that which doth not profit. 

Jeremiah ii. 11. 

Pause, my soul, over these words! Was it ever known 
that any nation changed their dunghill gods for others ? 
Such regard had they for whatever ignorance had set up, 
that the veneration never after ceased. But Israel, above 
every other nation of the earth, manifested folly, and 
even exceeded the most senseless and stupid of men. 
My soul; dost thou not in Israel’s folly behold thy own ? 
Was there ever one, when the Lord first called thee, less 
deserving ? A transgressor, as the Lord knew thee, from 
the womb! And yet this did not prevent the Lord from 
calling thee. He loved thee because he would love thee : 
gave thee, his Christ; gave thee his Holy Spirit; gave 
thee the name, the privilege, the adoption, of a son. 
What returns hast thou made ? How often since hath 
thy backslidings, thy coldness, thy departures, been like 
Israel ? What vanity, what pursuit, what unprofitable 
employment, hath not at times been preferred to thy God ? 
Oh! how do I see my daily, hourly, continual need of 
thee, thou that art the hope of Israel and the Saviour 



0 


FEBRUARY 24—25. 51 

thereof. Keep me, Lord, near thyself; for without thee 
I am nothing! 


He that had gathered much had nothing 
over; and he that had gathered little had no 
lack .—2 Cor. viii. 15. 

My soul! here is a delightful morsel for thee to feed 
upon this morning. Thou art come out to gather thy daily 
food as Israel did in the wilderness. Faith had no hoards. 
Thou wantest Jesus now as much as thou didst yesterday. 
Well then, look at what is here said of Israel. They 
went out to gather—what ? Why, the morning bread: 
God’s gift. Such is Jesus, the bread of God, the bread 
of life. And as Israel would have been satisfied with no¬ 
thing short of this, so neither be thou. And as Israel 
was never disappointed, so neither wilt thou, if thou 
seek *it in faith as Israel did. And observe, they tha 
gathered most had nothing over; so he that gathered 
least had no lack. Yes, my soul! no follower of Jesus 
can have too much of Jesus : nothing more than he wants 
—nothing to spare. So the poorest child of God, that 
hath the least of Jesus, can never want. The very touch 
of his garment, the very crumb from his table, is his, and 
is precious. Dearest Lord ! give me a large portion, even 
a Benjamin’s portion. But even a look of thy love is 
heaven to my soul. 


Who of God is made unto us wisdom and 
righteousness, sanctification and redemption. 

1 Cor. i. 30. 

What a sweet subject for my morning meditation is 
here ! Who is it, my soul, is made of God to thee these 
precious things but Jesus ? And mark how they are made 
so !—I am a poor ignorant creature, grossly ignorant by 
reason of the fall. I knew not my lost estate, much less 
the way of recovery. Here Jesus became to me wisdom. 
By his illuminating the darkness of my mind, he led me 
to see my ruin and my misery. But this would never have 
brought me out of it; for though I saw my lost estate, 




52 


FEBRUARY 26. 


yet still I had no-consciousness by what means I could be 
recovered. Here again Jesus came to my aid, and taught 
me, that as I needed righteousness, he would be my 
righteousness, and undertake for me to God. But even 
after this was done, I felt my soul still the subject of sin; 
and how to subdue a single sin I knew not. Here Jesus 
came again, and gave me to see, that as he was wisdom 
to cure my ignorance, and righteousness to answer for 
my guilt, so he would be my sanctification also ; purging, 
as well as pardoning and renewing, by his Spirit, my 
poor nature, when he had removed the guilt of it. Still 
I sighed for complete deliverance, and to make my hap¬ 
piness sure; and therefore Jesus came again, that, by 
his full redemption from all the evils of the fall, I might 
be made free; and therefore he became the whole to¬ 
gether—wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and re¬ 
demption. And to stamp and seal the whole with the 
impression of God my Father, all that Jesus did, he did 
by God’s gracious appointment; for he was made of 
God to me all these, that all my glorying might be in 
the Lord. See to it, my soul, then, that this be all thy 
glory. _ 

As for me, I will behold thy face in righte¬ 
ousness. I shall be satisfied when I awake 
with thy likeness .—Psalm xvii. 15. 

Is it refreshing to thee now, my soul, the least glimpse 
of Jesus’ face ; the smallest manifestations of the glories 
of his Person and of his work; and the very sound of 
his voice, in his word or ordinances ? Think, then, what 
will be thy felicity in that morning of the eternal world, 
when, dropping thy veil of flesh, He, whom thou seest 
now by faith only, will then appear as open to thee as to 
the church above in glory! Pause, my soul, over the 
vast thought! What will be thy first sight of Jesus ? 
What will be thy feelings, when, without any intervening 
medium, thou shalt see him face to face, and know even 
as thou art known ! Precious Lamb of God ! grant me 
grace to feel the blessedness of this first interview. Ap¬ 
pearing, as I trust I shall, in thine own garments, and 
the robes of thy righteousness, and which thou hast not 



FEBRUARY 27. 


53 


only provided for me, but put on, whaLwill be the burst¬ 
ings forth of my heart, in the full view of the glories of 
thy Person, and the perfection of thy righteousness ? 
Su-rely, Lord, when I thus behold thy face in righteous¬ 
ness, I shall be so fully satisfied, that the rest after which 
my poor soul, through a whole life of grace, since thou 
wert pleased to quicken me, hath been pursuing, will 
pursue no more. My immortal faculties will seek no 
more—will need no more. In thee, the whole is at¬ 
tained. In thee, I shall eternally rest. Thou art the 
everlasting centre of all happiness, glory, and joy. I 
shall be so fully satisfied when I awake to this view, that 
here, in thee, I shall be at home. And what is more, 
it will be an everlasting duration, not only in happiness, 
but in likeness. And as the coldest iron, put into the 
fire, partakes of the properties of the fire, until it be¬ 
comes altogether heated and fiery like it, so in thee, and 
with thee, thou blessed Jesus ! cold as my soul now is, 
I shall be warmed with thy love: and from thee, and 
thy likeness imparted, become lovely from thy loveliness, 
and glorious from thy glory! Precious, precious Jesus ! 
is the hour near ? Are thy chariot-wheels approaching ? 
dost thou say, “Behold, I come quickly?” Oh! for 
grace to answer—Even so come, Lord Jesus. 


He will be very gracious unto thee : at the 
voice of thy cry, when he shall hear it, he will 
answer thee .—Isaiah xxx. 19. 

Mark, my soul, what is here said; for every word in 
this sweet Scripture tells. Thy God, thy Saviour, thy 
Jesus, knows thy voice, hears thy cry, and will assuredly 
answer. He will not only be gracious, but very gracious. 
He waits to be gracious : waits the most suited time, the 
best time, the praying time, the crying time ; for he times 
his grace, his mercy, to thy need. And though thou 
knowest it not, yet so it is: when his time is near at 
hand, which is always the best time, he puts a cry in 
thine heart; so that the time of thy cry, and the time 
for the manifestation of his glory, shall come together. 
Is not this to be gracious—yea, very gracious. So that, 
5 * 



54 


FEBRUARY 28. 


while thou art looking after him, he is looking upon thee. 
And before thou callest upon him, he is coming forth to 
bless thee. Is not this very gracious ? No^v then, my 
soul, make a memorandum of this for any occasions 
which may hereafter occur. Put it down as a sure un¬ 
erring truth:—thy Jesus will be very gracious unto thee. 
Never allow this promise to be called in question any 
more. Next, bring it constantly into use. Faith, well- 
grounded faith in Jesus, should always bring down ge¬ 
neral rules to particular cases and circumstances, as the 
souPs experience may require. Hence, when God saith 
he will be very gracious unto thee, it is the act of faith to 
answer—If God hath said it, so it shall certainly be. 
And therefore, as that gracious God, who giveth the pro¬ 
mise, giveth also the grace of faith to depend upon the 
promise, the mercy is already done, and faith enters 
upon the enjoyment of it. God’s faithfulness and truth 
become the believer’s shield and buckler. 


Leaning on Jesus’s bosom .—John xiii. 23. 

Methinks I would contemplate for a while the privi¬ 
lege of this highly-favoured disciple John ! Surely to sit 
at the feet of Jesus, to look up at his face, to behold the 
Lamb of God, and to hear the gracious words which pro¬ 
ceeded out of his mouth, what should I have thought of 
this but a happiness unspeakable and full of glory ! But 
thebeloved apostle leaned on Jesus’s bosom! O thou 
condescending Saviour! Didst thou mean to manifest, 
by this endearing token, how dear and precious all thy 
redeemed ones are in thy esteem ? But stop, my soul! 
If John lay on Jesus’s breast, where was it Jesus himself 
lay, when he left all for thy salvation ? The disciple 
whom Jesus loved lay upon Jesus’s bosom; but He 
whom the Father loved, lay in the bosom of the Father 
~-nay, was embosomed there ; was wrapt up in the very 
soul of the Father from eternity. Who shall undertake 
to speak of the most glorious state of the Son of God, 
before he condescended to come forth from the bosom of 
God for the salvation of his people ? Who shall describe 
the blessedness of the Father and the Son in their mutual 



MARCH 1. 


55 


enjoyment of each other ? Jesus, when he was in the 
bosom of the Father, had not emptied himself of his 
glory. Jesus had not been made in the likeness of sinful 
flesh. Jesus had not put himself under the law. He 
was not then a man of sorrows. He was not then ac¬ 
quainted with grief. He had not then exposed his face 
to shame and spitting! neither to poverty, temptation, 
the bloody sweat, and the cross. And did Jesus go 
through all these, and more ? Did Jesus leave the Fa¬ 
ther’s bosom ; and did the Father take this only begotten, 
only beloved Son from his bosom, that John might lean 
on Jesus’s bosom, and all the redeemed, like him, one 
day dwell with Jesus, and lean and rest in his embraces 
for ever ? Oh ! for hearts to love both the Father‘and the 
Son, who have so loved us ; that we may be ready to part 
with all, and forsake all, and die to all, that we may live 
in Jesus, and to Jesus, and rest in his bosom for ever! 


MARCH. 

And his name shall be called Wonderful. 

Isaiah ix. 6. 

In the opening of the last month, the fragrancy of 
Jesus’s name, as Emmanuel, gave a sweet savour to my 
soul. May He, whose name is as ointment poured forth, 
give a new refreshment to my spiritual senses this morn¬ 
ing, in this name also as Wonderful; for surely every 
thing in him, and concerning Him, of whom the Pro¬ 
phet speaks, is eminently so. But who shall speak of 
thy wonders, dearest Lord!—the wonders of thy God¬ 
head, the wonders of thy Manhood, the wonders of both 
natures united and centered in one Person ? Who shall 
talk of the wonders of thy work, the wonders of thine 
offices, characters, relations; thy miraculous birth, thy 
wonderful death, resurrection, ascension? Who shall 
follow thee, thou risen and exalted Saviour at the right 
hand of power, and tell of the exercise of thine everlast¬ 
ing priesthood ? Who shall speak of the wonders of thy 
righteousness, the winders of thy sin-atoning blood? 
What angel shall be found competent to proclaim the 
wonders of the Father’s love, in giving thee for poor 



56 


MARCH 2. 


sinners ? What archangel to write down the wonders of 
thy love, in undertaking and accomplishing redemption ? 
And who hut God the Spirit can manifest both in the 
height, and depth, and breadth, and length, of a love 
that passeth knowledge ? Is there, my soul, a wonder 
yet, that, as it concerns thee, and thine interest in Him 
whose name is Wonderful, is still more marvellous to thy 
view? Yes! O thou wonderful Lord! for' sure all 
wonders seem ldst in the contemplation compared to 
that, that Jesus should look, on me in my lost, ruined, 
and undone estate; for his mercy endureth for ever! 
Well might Jesus say, “Behold, I and the children 
whom thou hast given me are for signs and wonders.” 
Isaiah viii. 18. Well might the Lord, concerning Jesus 
and his people, declare them to be as men wondered at. 
Zech. iii. 8. And, blessed Lord, the more love thou 
hast shown to thy people, the more are they the world’s 
wonder and their awn. Precious Lord! continue to 
surprise my soul with the tokens of thy love. All the 
tendencies of thy- grace, all the manifestations of thy 
favour, thy visits, thy love-tokens, thy pardons, thy re- 
newings, thy morning-call, thy mid-day feelings, thy noon, 
thy evening, thy midnight grace-—all, all are among thy 
wonderful ways of salvation; and all testify to my soul 
that thy name, as well as thy work, is, and must be, 
Wonderful! 


For if there be first a willing mind, it is ac¬ 
cepted according to that a man hath, and not ac¬ 
cording to that he hath not .—2 Cor . viii. 12. 

Sweet thought this to comfort the soul under small 
attainments. “ If there be first a willing mind.” Surely, 
Lord, thou hast given me this; for thou hast made me 
willing in the day of thy power. I feel as such, my 
soul, going forth in desires after thee, as my chief and 
only good ! though, alas ! how continually do I fall short 
of the enjoyment of thee. I can truly say, “ Whom is 
there in heaven, or upon earth, that I desire in compari¬ 
son of thee?” When thou art present, I am at once in 
heaven; it makes a very heaven in my soul: thou art 
the God of my exceeding joy. When thou art absent, 



MARCH 3. 


57 


my soul pines after thee. And, truly, I count all things 
but dung and dross to win thee : for whatever gifts thou 
hast graciously bestowed upon me, in the kindness of 
friends, in the affections and charities of life, yet ail 
these are secondary considerations with my soul. They 
are more or less lo,vely, as I see thy gracious hand in 
them; but all are nothing to my Lord. Is not this, 
dearest Jesus! a willing mind ? Is it not made so in the 
day of thy power ? But in the midst of this, though I 
feel this rooted desire in me after thee, yet how often is 
my heart wandering from thee. Though there is at the 
bottom of my heart a constant longing for thy presence, 
and the sweet visits of thy love, yet through the mass of 
unbelief, and the remains of indwelling corruption in my 
nature, which are keeping down the soul, how doth the 
day pass, and how often doth the enemy tempt me to 
question my interest in thee. Dearest Jesus ! undertake 
for me. I do cry out, “ When wilt thou come to me, 
though I am thus kept back from coming to thee ?” 
When wilt thou manifest thyself to my soul, and come 
over all these mountains of sin and unbelief, and fill me 
with a joy unspeakable and full of glory! And doth 
Jesus, indeed, accept from the willing mind he hath 
himself given, according to what a man hath, and not 
according to what he hath not ? Doth my Redeemer be¬ 
hold, amidst the rubbish, the spark of grace he himself 
hath quickened ? Will he not despise the day of small 
things ? No! he will not. It was said of thee, that 
thou shouldst not break the bruised reed, neither quench 
the smoking flax. Mine, indeed, is no more. But yet 
Jesus will beat up the one, and kindle the other, until 
he send forth judgment unto victory. Peace, then, my 
soul! weak as thou art in thyself, yet art thou strong in 
the Lord, and in the power of his might. 


That ye may be able to comprehend, with 
all saints, what is the breadth, and length, and 
depth, and height; and to know the love of 
Christ, which passeth knowledge. 

Ephes. iii. 18, 19. 



58 


MARCH 3. 


Did Paul pray that the church might he thus blessed ? 
So should all faithful pastors. And there is enough in 
Jesus to call up the everlasting contemplation of his peo¬ 
ple. All the dimensions of divine glory are in Jesus. 

+ Who, indeed, shall describe the extent of that love 
which passeth knowledge ? But, my soul, pause aver 
the account. What is the breadth of it ? Jesus’s death 
reaches in efficacy to all his seed—all his children: to 
thee, my soul; for thou art the seed of Jesus. And 
though that death took place at Jerusalem near 2000 
years since, yet the efficacy of his blood, as from an high 
altar, as effectually washes away sin now, as in the mo¬ 
ment it was shed. Remember, Jesus still wears the ves¬ 
ture dipped in blood. Remember, Jesus still appears as 
the Lamb slain before God! Indeed, indeed, Jesus 
was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. 
So that, in breadth , it is broader than the sea, taking in 
ail the seed of Jesus, through all ages, all dispensations, 
all the various orders of his people. Neither is the length 
of it less proportioned. Who shall circumscribe the 
Father’s love, which is from everlasting to everlasting ? 
Who shall limit Jesus’s grace ? Is he not made of God 
wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption ? 
Is he not all this, in every office, every character, every 
relation ? “ Jesus Christ; the same yesterday, and to¬ 

day, and for ever !” And what is the depth of this love, 
but reaching down to hell, to lift up our poor fallen na¬ 
ture ? And what is the height , but Jesus, in our nature, 
exalted far above all principalities, and powers, and 
might, and dominion, and every name that is named, 
not only in this world, but also in that which is to come ? 
Precious God of my salvation! O give me to see, to 
know, to entertain* and cherish, more enlarged views 
of this love, which hath no bottom, no bounds, no shore ; 
but, like its Almighty Author, is from everlasting to 
everlasting. Shall I ever despond ? Shall I ever doubt 
any more, when this Jesus looks upon me, loves me, 
washes me in his blood, feeds me, clothes me, and hath 
promised to bring me to glory? Oh ! for faith to compre¬ 
hend, with all saints, this love of God, which passeth 
knowledge. 


MARCH 4. 


59 


How shall we sing the Lord’s song, in a 
strange land ?—Psalm cxxxvii. 4. 

Methinks, my soul, this strange land is the very place 
to sing the Lord’s song in, though the carnal around un¬ 
derstand it not. Shall I hang my harp upon the willow 
when Jesus is my song, and when he himself hath given 
me so much cause to sing ? Begin, my soul, thy song 
of redemption : learn it, and let it be sung upon earth: 
for sure enough thou wilt have it to sing in heaven. Art 
thou at a loss what to sing? Oh! no. Sing of the Fa¬ 
ther’s mercy, in sending a Saviour. Sing of Jesus’s love, 
in not only coming, but dying for thee. Are the re¬ 
deemed above now singing, “Worthy is the Lamb that 
was slain ?” Join in the chorus, and tell that dear Re¬ 
deemer, in the loudest notes, that he was slain, and hath 
redeemed thee to God by his blood. Strike up thy harp 
anew to the glorious and redeeming grace, in that he not 
only died for thee, but hath quickened thee to a new 
and spiritual life. Add a note more to the Lord’s song, 
and tell the Redeemer, in thy song of praise, that he hath 
not only died for thee, and quickened thee, but he hath 
loved thee, and washed thee from thy sins in his own 
blood. Go on in thy song, my soul: for it is the Lord’s 
song. Sing not only of redeeming love, but marvellous 
grace; for both are connected. He that redeemed thee 
hath all grace for thee. He hath adopted thee into his 
family; hath made thee an heir of God, and a joint heir 
with Christ. He hath undertaken for thee, in all 
troubles, under all difficulties, to be with thee at all 
times and all places, until he brings thee home to behold 
his glory, that where he is, there thou mayest be for 
ever. And are not these causes enough to keep thy harp 
always strung—always in tune ? And wilt thou not 
sing this song all the way through, and make it the sub¬ 
ject of thy continual praise and love, in the house of thy 
pilgrimage? Moreover, the several properties of the 
song are, in themselves, matter for keeping it alive every 
day, and all the day. Think, my soul, how free was this 
love of God to thee. Surely if a man deserved hell, and 
found heaven, shall he not sing ? If I expected displea¬ 
sure, and received love—if I was brought low, and One 


60 


MARCH 5. 


like the Son of Man helped me, shall I not say, as one of 
old did, “ He brought me up out of an horrible pit, out of 
the miry clay; and he hath put a new song in my mouth, 
even praise unto our God ?” If I think of the great¬ 
ness of the mercy, of the riches of the mercy, of the sweet¬ 
ness of the mercy, of the all-sufficiency of the mercy; of 
the sureness and firmness, and everlasting nature and effi¬ 
cacy of the mercy—can I refrain to sing ? No ; blessed, 
blessed Jesus! I will sing, and not be afraid; for the 
Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song, and he is be¬ 
come my salvation. I will sing now, I will sing for ever¬ 
more. In this strange land, in this barren land, in this 
distant land from my Father’s house, I will sing, and 
Jesus shall be my song. He shall be the Alpha and the 
Omega of my hymn; and until I come to sing in the 
louder and sweeter notes of heaven, among the hallelujahs 
of the blessed, upon the new harp and new-stringed chords 
of my renewed soul, will I sing of Jesus and his blood, 
Jesus and his righteousness, Jesus and his complete sal¬ 
vation. And when the last song upon my trembling lips, 
with Jesus’s name in full, shall be uttered ; as the sound 
dies away, when death seals up the power of utterance ; 
my departing soul shall catch the parting breath, and, as 
it enters the presence of the court above, the first notes of 
my everlasting song will go on with the same blessed note 
to Him that hath loved me, and washed me from my sins 
in his own blood ! 


Faint, yet pursuing .—Judges viii. 4. 

Surely what is said here, concerning the little army of 
Gideon, suits my case exactly. I know that in Jesus the 
victory is certain: but I know, also, that I shall have 
battlings all the way. From the moment that the Lord 
called me out of darkness into his marvellous light, my 
whole life hath been but a state of warfare ; and I feel 
what Paul felt, and groan as he groaned, under a body 
of sin and death; as sorrowful, yet rejoicing; as dying, 
but behold I live; as chastened, and not killed. Truly 
I am faint, under the many heavy assaults I have sus¬ 
tained : and yet, through grace, pursuing as if I had met 
with no difficulty. Yes, blessed Jesus! I know that 



MARCH 6. 


61 


there can be no truce in this war; and, looking unto thee, 
I pray to be found faithful unto death, that no man may 
take my crown ! But, dearest Lord! thou seest my day 
of small things ; thou beholdest how faint I am. Thou 
seest, also, how the enemy assaults me; and how the 
world and the flesh combat against me. While without 
are fightings, within will be fears. Yet, dearest, blessed 
Lord ! in the Lord I have strength; and how sweet is the 
thought, that though I have nothing, though I am no¬ 
thing, yet thou hast said, “ In me is thy help.” Thou 
hast said, “The righteous shall hold on his way; and he 
that hath clean hands shall wax stronger and stronger.” 
The worm Jacob thou hast promised shall thresh the 
mountains. Write these blessed things, my soul, upon 
the living tablets of thine heart, or rather, beg of God 
the Holy Ghost, the remembrancer of thy Jesus, to stamp 
them there for thee. He giveth power to the faint; and 
to them which have no might, he increaseth strength. 
Even the youths shall faint and be weary; and the young 
men shall utterly fall. But they that wait upon the Lord 
shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with 
wings, as eagles ; they shall run, and not be weary; and 
they shall walk, and not faint. 


And every one that was in distress, and 
every one that was in debt, and every one that 
was discontented, gathered themselves unto 
him, and he became a captain over them. 

1 Sam. xxii. 2. 

My soul, was not this thy case when thou first sought 
after Jesus? Thou wert, indeed, in debt, under a 
heavy load of insolvency. Distress and discontent sadly 
marked thy whole frame. Unconscious where to go, or 
to whom to seek, and no man cared for thy soul. Oh ! 
what a precious thought it was, and which none but God 
the Holy Ghost could have put into thine heart,—Go unto 
Jesus! And when I came, and thou didst graciously 
condescend to be my Captain, from that hour how hath 
my soul been revived. My insolvency thou hast taken 
away; for thou hast more than paid the whole demands 



62 


MARCH 7. 


of the law; for thou hast magnified it and made it honour¬ 
able. My distress under the apprehension of divine jus¬ 
tice thou hast removed; for God’s justice, by thee, is not 
only satisfied but glorified. My discontent can have no 
further cause for exercise, since thou hast so graciously 
provided for all my wants, in grace here, and glory here¬ 
after. Hail! thou great and glorious Captain of my sal¬ 
vation ! In thee I see that Leader and Commander which 
Jehovah, thy Father, promised to give to the people. 
Thou art indeed, blessed Jesus ! truly commissioned by 
thy Father to this very purpose, that every one that is in 
soul-distress by reason of sin, and debtors to the broken 
law of God, may come unto thee, and take thee for their 
Captain. And truly, Lord, thy little army, like David’s, 
is composed of none originally but distressed souls. None 
would take thee for his Captain whose spiritual circum¬ 
stances are not desperate. None but the man whose 
heart hath felt distress, by reason of sin, and is sinking 
under the heavy load of guilt, will come under thy banner. 
Oh! the condescension of Jesus to receive such, and be 
gracious unto them. Oh! that I had the power of per¬ 
suasion, I would say to every poor sinner, every insolvent 
debtor, every one who feels and knows the plague of his 
heart—Would to God you were with the Captain of my 
salvation* he would recover you from all your sorrow. 
Go to him, my brother, as I have done; he will take away 
your distress by taking away your sin. He will liberate 
you from all your debt by paying it himself. He will 
banish all discontent from the mind, in giving you peace 
with God by his blood. Yes! blessed, almighty Captain! 
thou art indeed over thy people, as well as a Captain to 
thy people. By the sword of thy spirit, which is the 
word of God, thou workest conviction in our hearts ; thou 
makest all thine enemies fall under thee; thou leadest 
thy people on to victory, and makest therti more than 
conquerors through thy grace supporting them. Lord, 
put the military garments of salvation on my soul, and 
the whole armour of God, that under thy banner I may 
be found in life, in death, and for evermore. 



MARCH 7. 


63 


They shall hanger no more.— Rev. vii. 16. 

My soul! contemplate for a moment, before thou 
enterest upon the concerns of time and sense, in the claims 
of the world, the blessed state of the redeemed above. 
They are at the fountain-head of happiness, in their 
station, in their service, in their society, in their provi¬ 
sion, in their everlasting exemption from all want, and 
above all, in the presence of God and the Lamb. “ They 
shall hunger no more.” Sweet thought! Let me this 
day anticipate as many of the blessed properties of it as 
my present state in Jesus will admit. If Jesus be my 
home, my residence, my dwelling-place, will not the 
hungerings of my soul find supply ? Yes ! surely. A 
life of faith on the Son of God is a satisfying life, 
under all the changes of the world around. Finding 
Jesus, I find sustenance in him, and therefore do not 
hunger for aught besides him. “ Thou art my hiding- 
place,” said one of old; and my soul finds occasion to 
adopt the same language. And he that is my hiding- 
place is also my food and my nourishment. In Jesus 
there is both food and a fence; there is fruit as well as a 
shadow; and the fulness of Jesus needs vent in the wants 
of his people, for the pouring forth of his all-sufficiency. 
My soul! cherish this thought to the full. If thy hunger 
be really for Jesus, and him only, then will thy hunger 
be abundantly supplied in his communication. As long 
as I look at my wants, without an eye to Jesus, I shall 
be miserable. But if I consider those wants and that 
emptiness purposely appointed for the pouring out of his 
fulness, they will appear as made for the cause of hap¬ 
piness. Jesus keeps up the hungering that he may have 
the blessedness of supplying them; he keeps his children 
empty that he may fill them, and that his fulness may 
be in request among them. So far, therefore, is my 
hungering from becoming a source of sorrow, it fur- 
nisheth out a source of holy joy. I should never be 
straitened in myself, when I am not straitened in Jesus. 
Nay, it would be a sad token of distance from Jesus if a 
sense of want was lessened. While, on the other hand, 
the best proof I can have of nearness to Jesus, and living 
upon him, is, when my enjoyment of Jesus discovers 


64 


MARCH 8. 


new and increasing wants, and excites a holy hungering 
for his supplying them. By and by I shall get home, 
and then, at the fountain-head of rapture and delight, 
all hungering and wants will be done away in the full and 
everlasting enjoyment of God and the Lamb ! 


From this day will I bless thee .—Haggai ii. 9. 

My soul! what day is the memorable day to thee from 
whence commenced thy blessings ? No doubt from ever¬ 
lasting the Lord hath blessed his people in Jesus. But 
the commencement of thy personal enjoyment of those 
blessings was at the time the Lord graciously laid the 
foundation of his spiritual temple in thee; the blessed, 
the gracious, the auspicious, the happy day, when the 
Lord made thee willing in the day of his power! Oh! 
blessed day, never; never to be forgotten ! A day of 
light; when the light of Jesus first broke in upon me. 
A day of life ; when the Lord Jesus quickened my poor 
soul, which before was lying dead in trespasses and 
sins. A day of love; when his love first was made 
known to my soul, who so loved me as to give his dear 
and ever-blessed Son for me : and His love was sweetly 
manifested, who so loved me as to give himself for me. 
A day of the beginning of victory, over death, hell, and 
the grave. A day of liberty; when the Lord Jesus 
opened my prison doors and brought me out. A day of 
wonder, love, and praise ; when mine eyes first saw the 
King in his beauty, and my whole soul was overpowered 
in the contemplation of the grace, the glory, the beauty, 
the loveliness, the suitableness, the all-sufficiency, of his 
glorious Person and his glorious work. A day! Oh 
what dear name shall I term it to be ? A day of grace, a 
jubilee, a salvation day; the day of my espousals to Jesus, 
and of the gladness of my Redeemer’s heart. And, my 
soul, did thy God, did thy Jesus, say that from that day 
he would bless thee ? And hath he not done it? Oh! 
yes, yes; beyond all conception of blessing. He hath 
blessed thee in thy basket and thy store. All the bless¬ 
ings, even in temporal mercies, which were all forfeited 
in Adam, are now sweetly restored, and blessed, and 
sanctified in Jesus : nay, even thy very crosses have the 



MARCH 9. 


65 


curse taken out of them by thy Jesus ; and thy very tears 
have the spiced wine of the pomegranate. And, as to 
spiritual blessings, God thy Father hath blessed thee with 
all in his dear Son. Thy Father hath made over himself 
in Jesus, with all his love and favour. And Jesus is 
thine, with all his fulness, sweetness, all-sufficiency ; 
and God the Spirit, with all his gracious influences and 
comforts. And the present enjoyment of these unspeak¬ 
able mercies becomes the sure earnest of blessings which 
are eternal. Jesus himself hath declared, that it is the 
Father’s own gracious will that he should give eternal 
life to as many as the Father had given him; and there¬ 
fore eternal life must be the sure portion of all his re¬ 
deemed. He that believeth in the Son hath indeed ever¬ 
lasting life ; and Jesus will raise him up at the last day. 
Pause, my soul! and view the vast heritage to which thou 
art begotten from the day of thy new birth in Jesus. 
O most gracious Father! let me never lose sight of 
those sweet words, nor the feeling sense of my interest in 
them, in which thou hast said, “ From this day will I 
bless thee.” 


But now in Christ Jesus, ye, who sometimes 
were far off, are made nigh by the blood of 
Christ.— Ephes. ii. 13. 

Of all the vast alterations made upon our nature, by 
grace, that which is from death to life seems to be 
the greatest. I do not think the change would be as 
great; if Jesus were to make a child of God, after his 
conversion, at once an archangel, as when, by his 
blessed Spirit, he quickens the sinner, dead in trespasses 
and sins, and brings him into grace. My soul, con¬ 
template the sweet thought this morning, that it may 
lead thee, with thy hymn of praise, to all-precious 
Jesus ! First then, my soul, think where you then stood 
before this vast act of grace had quickened you. You 
stood on the very confines of hell—unawakened, unre¬ 
generate, uncalled, without God, and without Christ. 
Supposing the Lord had not saved you ; supposing a 
sickness unto death had, by his command, taken you ; 
supposing that any one cause had been commissioned to 



66 


MARCH 9. 


sign your death-warrant while in this state ; where must 
have been your portion ? And yet, consider, my soul, 
how many nights and days did you live in this uncon¬ 
scious, unconcerned state ! Oh ! who, in this view of 
the thought, can look back without having the eye 
brimfull of tears, and the heart bursting with love and 
thankfulness! Go on, my soul, and contemplate the 
subject in another point of view; and pause in the 
pleasing thought, where you now stand. “ You are now,” 
saith the Apostle, “ made nigh, by the blood of Christ.” 
You who were an enemy to God by wicked works, yet 
now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh, through 
death, to present you holy, and unblameable, and unre- 
provable, in his sight. And now, my soul, if death 
should come, it is but the messenger to glory. Precious, 
blessed thought! And oh! how much more precious 
blessed Jesus, the Author of it! Advance, my soul, one 
step more in this sweet subject, and pleasingly consider, 
where you soon shall be. Paul answereth, “ So shall 
we be ever with the Lord." Ever with the Lord ! Who 
can write down the full amount of this blessedness ! 
Ever with the Lord ! Here we are, in Jesus, interested 
in all that belongs to Jesus : but there, we shall be also 
with Jesus. Here, we see him but as through a glass 
darkly : but there, face to face. Here even the views we 
have of him, by faith, are but glimpses only-—short and 
rare, compared to our desires: but there, we shall see 
him in reality, in substance, and unceasingly the pre¬ 
cious, glorious God-man Christ Jesus. Here our sins, 
though pardoned, yet dim our view, by reason of their 
effects ; there we shall for ever have lost them, and see, 
and know, even as we are known. And have these 
blessed changes taken place in my soul; and all by 
thee, thou gracious, precious, Holy One of Israel ? Oh! 
for grace to love thee, to live to thee, to be looking out 
for thee, dearest Jesus ! that I may be counting every 
parting breath, every beating pulse,* as one the less, to 
bring me nearer and nearer to Jesus, who is my ever¬ 
lasting home, and will, ere long, be my never-ceasing 
portion and happiness in eternity! Hallelujah. 



MARCH 10—11. 


67 


And has feared continually every day, be¬ 
cause of the fury of the oppressor, as if he 
were ready to destroy; and where is the fury 
of the oppressor ?—Isaiah li. IS. 

Pause, my soul, over those sweet expostulating words 
of thy God. Wherefore should the fear of man bring 
a snare ? How much needless anxiety should I spare 
myself, could I but live, amidst all my changeable days 
and changeable circumstances, upon my unchangeable 
God. Now mark what thy God saith of thy unreason¬ 
able and ill-grounded fears :—“Where is the fury of the 
oppressor ?” Can he take from thee thy Jesus ? No ! 
Shouldst thou lose all thy earthly comforts, Jesus ever 
liveth, and Jesus is thine. Can he afflict thee if God 
saith no? That is impossible. Neither men nor devils 
can oppress without his permission. And sure enough 
thou art, thy God and Saviour will never allow any thing 
to thy hurt; for all things must work for good. And 
canst thou lessen the oppressor’s fury by anxious fears ? 
Certainly not. Thou mayst, my soul, harass thyself 
and waste thy spirits, but never lessen the fury of the 
enemy thereby. And wherefore, then, shouldst thou 
crowd the uncertain evils, and the may be's of to-mor¬ 
row, in the circumstances of this day’s warfare, when, 
by only waiting for the morrow, and casting all thy care 
upon Jesus, who careth for thee, his faithfulness is en¬ 
gaged to be thy shield and buckler ? Peace, then, my 
soul, thou shalt be carried through this oppression, as 
sure as thou hast been through every former; for Jesus is 
still Jesus, thy God, and will be thy guide even unto death. 

And behold, there came a leper and wor¬ 
shipped him, saying, Lord! if thou wilt, thou 
canst make me clean. And Jesus put forth 
his hand and touched him, saying, I will; be 
thou clean. And immediately the leprosy was 
cleansed.— Matt. viii. 2, 3. 

Behold, my soul, in the instance of this leper, thine 
own circumstances. What he has in body, such wert 



MARCH 12. 


6-8 

thou in soul. As his leprosy made him loathsome and 
offensive before men, so the polluted soul made thee 
odious in the sight of God. He would not have sought 
a cure, had he not been conscious of his need of it 
Neither wouldst thou have ever looked to Jesus, had he 
not convinced thee of thy helplessness and misery with¬ 
out him. Moreover, he would not, though convinced 
how much he needed healing, have.sought that mercy 
from Jesus, had he not been made sensible of Jesus’s 
ability to the cure. Neither wmuldst thou ever have 
come to Jesus, hadst thou not been taught who Jesus is, 
and how fully competent to deliver thee. The poor leper 
did not doubt whether Jesus was able ; though he rather 
feared that ability might not be exercised towards him. 
His prayer was, not if thou art able ; but, “ Lord, if thou 
wilt , thou canst make me clean.” Now here, my soul, 
I hope,thy faith,throughgrace,exceeds the Jewish leper. 
Surely thou both knowest Jesus’s power and Jesus’s 
disposition to save thee. Unworthy and undeserving as 
thou art, yet his grace is not restrained by thy undeserv¬ 
ings, no more than it was first constrained by thy merit. 
His love, his own love, his free love, is the sole rule of 
his mercy towards his children, and not their claims ! for 
they have none, but in his free grace and the Father’s 
everlasting mercy. Cherish these thoughts, my soul, 
at all times, for they are most sweet and precious. But 
are these all the blessed things which arise out of the 
view of the poor leper’s case ? Oh ! no ; the most de¬ 
lightful part still remains, in the contemplation of Jesus’s 
mercy to the poor petitioner, and the very gracious man¬ 
ner the Son of God manifested in the bestowing of it. 
He not only healed him, and did it immediately, but 
with that tenderness which distinguished his character 
and his love to poor sinners, Jesus put forth his hand 
and touched him ; touched a leper. Even so, precious 
Lord ! deal by me. Though polluted and unclean, yet 
condescend to put forth thine hand and touch me also. 
Put forth thy blessed Spirit. Come, Lord, and dwell 
in me, abide in me, and rule, and reign over me. Be 
thou my God, my Jesus, my Holy One, and make me 
thine for ever! 



MARCH 13. 


69 


Followers of them who through faith and 
patience inherit the promises.— Heb. vi. 12. 

How gracious is the Holy Ghost, in not only holding 
forth to the people of Jesus the blessedness and certainty 
of the promises, but opening to our view multitudes, who 
are now in glory, in the full enjoyment of them. My 
soul! dost thou ask how they lived, when upon earth, in 
the full prospect, before that they were called upon to 
enter heaven for the full participation of them ? Hear 
what the blessed Spirit saith concerning it in this sweet 
Scripture. It was through faith and patience. Now 
observe how these blessed principles manifested them¬ 
selves. Another part of Scripture explains—They all 
died in faith, not having received the promises; but 
having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, 
and embraced them. Now this is the whole sum and 
substance of the believer’s life; he sees them afar off,\ as 
Abraham did the day of Christ-—as David, who had the 
same enjoyment in a believing view, with which his 
whole soul was satisfied; for he saith, it was all his sal¬ 
vation and all his desire ; a covenant which he rested 
upon, as ordered in all things and sure. Pause, my 
soul, over this, and ask within, are your views thus firmly 
founded ? What, though the day of Christ’s second com¬ 
ing be far off, or nigh, doth thy faith realize the blessed 
things belonging to it as certain, and as sure as God is 
truth ? Pause, and see that such is thy faith—then go on. 
The faithful, who now inherit the promises, and which 
the Holy Ghost bids thee to follow, not only saw with the 
eye of faith the things of Jesus afar off, but were persuad¬ 
ed of them ; that is, were as perfectly satisfied of their 
existence and reality, as if they were already in actual 
possession. Pause here again, and say, is this thy faith ? 
Are you perfectly persuaded that God was, in Christ, 
reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their tres¬ 
passes unto them ? Are you convinced that it is God’s 
design, God’s plan, God’s grace, God’s love, God’s mer¬ 
cy, in all that concerns Jesus ? Art thou convinced that 
God’s glory is concerned in the glory of Jesus, and that 
every poor sinner gives glory to God in believing the 
record that God hath given of his Son ? Dost thou,my 


70 


MARCH 14. 


soul, believe heartily, cordially, fully, joyfully believe, 
these precious things; nay that, in fact, it is the only pos¬ 
sible way a poor sinner can give glory to God, in look¬ 
ing up to him as God, in giving him the credit of God, 
and taking his word as God, concerning his dear Son 
Jesus Christ ? Dost thou, my soul, set thy seal to these 
things ? Then art thou persuaded of the truths of God , 
as the patriarchs were who saw them, afar off. Once more 
-—The faithful, whom the Holy Ghost calls upon thee to 
follow, embraced them also , as well as were persuaded 
of them. They clasped, by faith, Jesus, in their arms, as 
really and as truly as Simeon did in substance. Their 
love to Jesus, and their interest in Jesus, their acquaint¬ 
ance by faith with Jesus, were matters of certainty, re¬ 
ality, delight; and their whole souls were, day by day, 
so familiarized in the unceasing meditation, that they 
walked by faith with Jesus while here below, as now, 
by sight, they are with him above in glory. Pause, my 
soul! Is this thy faith ? Then, surely, Jesus is pre¬ 
cious, and thou art indeed the follower of them who 
now, through faith and patience, inherit the promises. 
And, ere long, like them, thou shalt see him whom thy 
soul loveth, and dwell with him for ever. 


O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou 
doubt?— Matt. xiv. 31. 

My soul! how sweet is it to eye Jesus in all things, and 
to be humbled in the recollection of his compassions to 
thy unaccountable instances of unbelief, after the many, 
nay continued, and daily experiences which thou hast 
had of his love and faithfulness. And doth thy Jesus 
speak to thee this day, in those expostulating words, 
“ O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?” 
What answer wilt thou return ? Is there any thing in 
thy life to justify, or even to apologize, for doubting? 
Look back—behold thy God and Father’s grace, and 
mercy, and love ! A Saviour so rich, so compassionate, 
so answering all wants, in spirituals, temporals, and eter¬ 
nals ! A blessed Spirit, so condescending to teach, to 
lead, and, by his influences, to be continually with thee ! 
Surely a life like thine, crowded with mercies, blessings 



MARCH 15. 


71 


upon blessings, and one miracle of grace followed by 
another—wherefore shouldst thou doubt ? What shall 
I say to thee, oh thou that art the hope of Israel, and the 
Saviour thereof! Lord ! give me to believe, and help 
thou mine unbelief. I beseech thee, my God and Sa¬ 
viour, give me henceforth faith to trust thee when I 
cannot trace thee: give me to hang upon thee when 
the ground of all sensible comforts seems sinking under 
my feet. I would cling to the faithfulness of my God 
in Christ, and throw my poor arms around thee, thou 
blessed Jesus! when all things appear the most dark and 
discouraging. And thus, day by day, living a life of 
faith and whole dependence upon thy glorious Person 
and thy glorious work; pressing after more sensible 
communion with thee, and more imparted strength and 
grace from thee, until at length, when thou shalt call 
me home from a life of faith to a life of sight—then, pre¬ 
cious Jesus ! would I say to thee, with my dying breath, 
“ O present me, washed in thy blood and clothed in thy 
righteousness, among the whole body of thy glorious 
church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, 
but that I may be without blame before thee in love.” 


And for their sakes I sanctify myself. 

John xvii. 19. 

Let thy morning thoughts, my soul, be directed to 
this sweet view of thy Saviour. Behold thy Jesus pre¬ 
senting himself as the surety of his people before God 
and the Father, Having now received the call and au¬ 
thority of God the Father, and being fitted with a body 
suited to the service of a Redeemer, here see him enter¬ 
ing upon the vast work, and, in those blessed words, 
declaring the cause of it —I sanctify myself. Did Jesus 
mean that he made himself more holy for the purpose ? 
No, surely : for that was impossible. But by Jesus’s 
sanctifying himself, must be understood (as the Nazarite 
from the womb, consecrated, set apart, dedicated to the 
service to which the Father had called him) a voluntary 
offering—a holy, unblemished sacrifice. And observe 
forwhom: for their sakes ; not for himself, for he needed 
it not. The priests under the law made thfcir offerings, 



72 


MARCH 15. 


first for themselves, and then for the people. But such 
a High-Priest became us, who is holy, harmless, unde- 
fiied, separate from sinners, and made higher than the 
heavens; and who needed not daily,as those high-priests, 
so to offer. For the law maketh men high-priests which 
have infirmity; but the Son is consecrated for evermore. 
My soul! pause over this view of thy Jesus ; and when 
thou hast duly pondered it, go to the mercy-seat, under 
the Spirit’s leadings and influences, and there, by faith, 
behold thy Jesus, in his vesture dipped in blood, there 
sanctified, and there appearing in the presence of God 
for thee. There plead the dedication of Jesus ; for it is 
of the Father’s own appointment. There tell thy God 
and Father (for it is the Father’s glory when a poor 
sinner glorifies his dear Son in him) that He, that Holy 
One, whom the Father consecrated, and with an oath 
confirmed in his high-priestly office for ever, appeareth 
there for thee. Tell God that thy High-Priest’s holiness 
and sacrifice was altogether holy, pure, without a spot; 
and both his Person, and his nature, and offering, clean 
as God’s own righteous law. Tell, my soul, tell thy God 
and Father these sacred, solemn truths. And while thou 
art thus coming to the mercy-seat, under the leadings of 
the Spirit, and wholly in the name and office-work of 
thy God and Saviour, look unto Jesus, and call to mind 
those sweet words for whose sake that Holy One sancti¬ 
fied himself; and then drop a petition more before thou 
comest from the heavenly court; beg, and pray, and 
wrestle, with the bountiful Lord, for suited strength and 
grace, that as, for thy sake, among the other poor sinners 
of his redemption-love, Jesus sanctified himself, so thou 
mayst be able to be separated from every thing but 
Jesus ; and as thy happiness was Christ’s end, so his 
glory may be thy first and greatest object. Yes, dearest 
Jesus! methinks I hear thee say, Thou shalt be for me, 
and not for another; so will I be for thee. O thou 
condescending, loving God ! make me thine, that 
whether I live, I may live unto the Lord, or whether I 
die, I may die unto the Lord ; so that living or dying I 



MARCH 16. 


73 


Then went King David in and sat before 
the Lord. And he said, Who am I, O Lord 
God! and what is my house, that thou hast 
brought me hitherto ? And is this the manner 
of man, O Lord God ?—2 Sam. vii. 18, 19. 

The language of David, under the overwhelming views 
he had of divine goodness as it concerned himself, is 
suited to the case of every child of God, as he may trace 
that goodness in his own history. Surely every awakened 
soul may cry out, under the same impressions, “ Who am 
I, O Lord God! and what is my house, that thou hast 
brought me hitherto ?” My soul! ponder over the sweet 
subject as it concerns thyself. Behold what manner 
of love the love of God is from the manner of man! 
View it in each Person of the Godhead. What is the 
highest possible conception any man can have Of the 
love of God our Father to us ? Was it not when, as an 
evidence of the love he had to our nature, he put a robe 
of that nature, in its pure and holy state, upon the Per¬ 
son of his dear Son ; when he gave him a body in all 
points such as ours, sin only excepted, that he might not 
only in that body perfect salvation, both by his obedience 
and death, but also that he might be our everlasting Me¬ 
diator for drawing nigh to the Godhead, first in grace, 
and then in glory ? Tell me, my soul, what method, in 
all the stores of Omnipotency, could God thy Father 
have adopted to convince thee of his love, as in this sweet 
method of his wisdom. God intimates, by this tender 
process, that he loveth the human nature which he hath 
created. And though, to answer the wise measures of 
his plan of redemption, he hath not as yet taken all the 
persons of* his redeemed up to his heavenly court, yet he 
will have their glorious Head, their Representative, there, 
that he may behold Him, and accept the whole church 
in Him, and love them and bless them in him, now and 
for ever. O my soul! if this view of thy Father’s 
love was but always uppermost in thine heart, what a 
ground of encouragement would it for ever give thee, 
to come to thy God and Father in him and his media¬ 
tion ; who, while he is one in the divine nature, is one also 
7 


*74 


MARCH 16. 


with thee in the human, on purpose to hid thee come. 
And as for thee, thou blessed Jesus! thy love and thy 
delights were always with thy people. From everlasting 
thy tendencies of favour have been towards them ; thine 
whole heart is ours. All thy grace, in being set up as 
the Covenant-head for us, and all the after-actings of the 
same grace in time; all that thou didst then, and all 
that thou art doing now—all, all testify the love of our 
Jesus. And may I not say to thee, thou dear Redeemer ! 
as David did—“ Is this the manner of man, O Lord God ?” 
Yes ! it is ; but it is of the Glory-man, the God-man 
Christ Jesus.; and no less, thou Holy Spirit, Avhose 
great work is love and consolation. What a thought is 
it to warm my soul into the most awakened contempla¬ 
tion and delight in the view-of thy. love, that though thou 
art of purer eyes than to behold iniquity, yet dost thou 
make the very bodies of the redeemed thy temples, for 
thine indwelling residence. My soul! do as David did : 
go in before the Divine Presence ; fall down and adore 
in the solemn thought—“ Who am I, O Lord God ! and 
what is my Father’s house ?” 


The man will not be in rest until he have 
finished the thing this day .—Ruth iii. 18. 

Behold, my soul, in this scripture-history some sweet 
features by which the disposition of-Jesus’s love, and the 
earnestness in his heart to relieve poor sinners, is strik¬ 
ingly set forth. When a poor sinner is made acquainted 
with the Lord Jesus, hath heard of his grace, goes forth 
to glean in his fields ; at the ordinances of his house, and 
under the ministration of his word, lies down at his feet 
and prays to be covered with the skirt of his mantle; 
Jesus not only takes notice of that poor seeking sinner, 
but gives the poor creature to know, by some sweet and 
secret whispers of his Holy Spirit, that he is not unac¬ 
quainted with all that is in his heart. And when such 
have lain long, and earnestly sought, even through the 
whole night of doubt and fear, until the morning of 
grace breaks in upon the soul, yet may they be assured 
the God-man Christ Jesus will not rest until that he 
hath finished the thing. It is one of the most blessed 



MARCH 17. 


75 


truths of the gospel, (and do thou, my soul, see to it 
that it is written in thy best and strongest remembrance, 
to have recourse to, as may be needed, upon every oc¬ 
casion,) that a seeking sinner is not more earnest to see 
Jesus', and enjoy him, than Jesus is'to reveal himself to 
that seeking sinner, and form himself in the sinner’s heart 
the hope of glory; for Jesus will not, cannot, cease his 
love to poor sinners, until the object for which he came 
to seek and save them is fully answered. And it is a 
thought, my soul, enough to warm thy coldest moments, 
that all- the hallelujahs of heaven cannot call off thy 
Jesus’s attention from the necessities of even the poorest 
of his little ones here upon earth. In every individual 
instance* and in every case, Jesus will not rest until that 
he hath finished the thing, as well in the hearts of his 
people as in the world, when he finished the work ihe 
Father gave him to do. Yes ! Jesus will not rest until 
the last redeemed soul is brought home to glory. Pre¬ 
cious consideration ! how ought it to endear yet more 
the preciousness of the Redeemer! 


Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for 
a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through 
manifold temptations.—1 Pet. i. 6. 

My soul! it is too difficult a task to flesh and blood, 
but it is among the most blessed triumphs of grace, to 
glory in tribulation, that the power of Jesus may rest 
upon the soul. Pause over the subject, and see whether, 
in the little exercises of thy life, such things are among 
thine experiences. A soul must be truly taught of God 
the Father4 truly acquainted with Jesus, and living near 
to him ; and truly receiving the sweet and constant in¬ 
fluences of the Holy Ghost; when, in the absence of the 
streams of all creature-comforts, he is solacing himself at 
the fountain-head; and amidst also the fiery darts of 
temptations ! But, my soul, if this be thy happy portion, 

■ thou must have acquired it in the school of grace. There 
are some precious marks by which thou wilt ascertain 
these things. As, first—I must see that the manifold 
temptations, be they of what kind or number they may, 



76 


MARCH 18. 


are in the permissions of Jesus. I must trace the foot¬ 
steps of Jesus in them, the hand of Jesus directing me 
through them, the voice of Jesus I must hear in them; 
and in short, his sacred Person regulating and ordering 
all the several parts of them. If I see his love, his 
wisdom, his grace, his good-will, in all the appointment; 
whatever heaviness, the temptations themselves induce, 
there will still be cause left for joy*—yea, for great joy. 
Moreover, it will bean additional alleviation to soften 
their pressure, if, through the whole of their exercise, 
the soul be enabled to keep in view, that God’s glory, 
and my soul’s happiness, will be the sure issue of them. 
If I can realize Jesus’s presence, as I pass through them, 
and interpret with an application to myself that blessed 
promise, in which the Lord saith, “ I know the thoughts 
I think toward you,” saith the Lord, “ thoughts of peace, 
and not of evil, to give you an expected endthese 
mercies, mingled with the trial, will sweeten and almost 
take away all its bitter. And lastly, to add no more— 
If, my soul, the Holy Ghost should lead out thine whole 
heart upon the Person of Jesus during the conflict, and 
by making thee sensible of thy weakness, to take shelter 
in him, and to lean altogether upon his strength; so that 
thou art able to believe and to depend upon the fulfil¬ 
ment of his promise, when, to the eye of sense, there 
doth not seem a way by which that promise may be ful¬ 
filled; these are foundations for rejoicing, and of great 
rejoicing too; because they are^all out of thyself and 
centered in Him, with whom there is no possibility of 
change. These are, like the Michtams of David, pre¬ 
cious, golden things. For this is to live upon Jesus, to 
rejoice in Jesus, and to find in him a suited strength for 
every need. Blessed will be these exercises, my soul, if 
thou art enabled thus to act, under manifold temptations. 


And Israel strengthened himself, and sat up 
on the bed.— Gen . xlviii. 2. 

This was an interesting moment in the life, or rather 
the death, of the patriarch, and may serve, my soul! to 
show what ought to be the conduct of the believer in his 



MARCH 18. 


77 


last expiring hours. The imagination can hardly con¬ 
ceive any situation equally momentous, in every point of 
view, both as it'concerns a faithful God, a man’s own 
heart, and the church the dying saint is going to leave 
behind. What can form a more lovely sight than a 
dying saint, sitting up in the bed, (if the Lord permits 
the opportunity,) and recounting, as Jacob did, the gra¬ 
cious dealings of the Lord, all the way along the path 
of pilgrimage—“ The God which fed me,” said Jacob, 
“ all my life long unto this day : the angel (and who was 
this but Jesus ?) which redeemed me from all evil.” 
Pause, my soul! Anticipate Shch a day. Figure to thy¬ 
self thy friends around thee, and thou thyself strengthen¬ 
ed, just to sit up in the bed, to take an everlasting fare¬ 
well. What hast thou to relate ? What hast thou trea¬ 
sured up of God’s dealings with thee, to sweeten death in 
the recital, to bless God in the just acknowledgment, and 
to leave behind thee a testimony to others of the truth as 
it is in Jesus ? My soul, what canst thou speak of? What 
canst thou tell of thy God, thy Jesus ? Hast thou known 
enough of him to commit thyself into his Almighty 
hands, with an assurance of salvation? Pause ! Didst 
thou not in the act of faith, long since, venture thyself 
upon Jesus for the whole of thy everlasting welfare ? 
Didst thou not, from a perfect conviction of thy need of 
Jesus, and from as perfect a conviction of the power and 
grace of Jesus to save thee—didst thou not make a full 
and complete surrender of. thyself, and with the most 
perfect approbation of this blessed plan of God’s mercy 
in Christ, to be saved wholly by him, and wholly in his 
own way, and wholly to his own glory 2 And, as such, 
art thou now afraid, or art thou now shrinking back, 
when come within sight almost of Jesus’s arms to receive 
thee ? Oh no ! blessed be God! this last act of com¬ 
mitting thy soul is not as great an act of faith as the first 
was; for since that time thou hast had thousands of evi¬ 
dences, and thousands of tokens in love and faithfulness 
that thy God is true. Sit up, then, my soul, and do as 
the dying patriarch did, recount to all around thee thy 
confidence in the Son of God, who hath loved thee, 
and given himself for thee. Cry out, as he did, “ I have 
waited for thy salvation, O Lord !” And as this will be 


78 


MARCH 19. 


the last opportunity of speaking a word for God, testify 
of his faithfulness, and encourage all that behold you to 
he seeking after an interest in Jesus, from seeing how 
sweetly you close a life of faith before you begin a life of 
glory ; in blessing God, though with dying lips, that the 
last notes which you utter here, below, may be only the 
momentary interruption to the same subject in the first 
of your everlasting song—“ To him that hath loved you, 
and washed you from your sins in his blood.” 

Oh that I knew where I might find him, 
that I might come even to his seat! I would 
order my cause before him, and fill my mouth 
with arguments. Will he plead against me 
with his great strength? No; but he would 
put strength in me .—Job xxiii. 3, 4, 6. 

My soul! are these thy breathings ? Dost thou really 
long, and, like David, even pant, to come before the 
throne of grace ? Art thou at a loss how to come, how 
to draw nigh? Wouldst thou fill thy mouth with argu¬ 
ments, and. have thy cause so ordered as to be sure not 
to fail ? Look to Jesus ! Seek from him the leadings of 
the Spirit! And while thine eye is steadily fixed on thy 
Great High-Priest within the vail, still wearing a vesture 
dipped in blood, see to it that thy one great plea is, for 
a perfect and complete justification before God and thy 
Father, upon the sole footing of righteousness. Yes, my 
soul! plead earnestly, heartily, steadily ; and, like Jacob 
wrestling with God, upon the sole footing of righteous¬ 
ness. Wouldst thou fear on this ground? Yes! thou 
wouldst have cause enough to fear and tremble, if thy 
plea was with the least reference to any righteousness of 
thine. But, my soul, remember it is Jesus’s righteous¬ 
ness, and his only, with which, like Job, thy mouth must 
be filled with arguments. This is the strength thy God 
and Father will put in thee: and it is a strength of Je¬ 
hovah’s founded in his justice. As a poor guilty sinner, 
thou couldst have nothing to plead but free grace and 
rich mercy. But when thou comest in Jesus, thy Surety’s 
righteousness, thou mayst appeal, and art expected so 



MARCH 20. 


79 


to do, to God’s holiness and his justice also. Oh ! how 
sweet the assurance, how unanswerable the plea, how 
secure the event! Jesus hath fulfilled the law—Jesus 
hath paid the penalty of justice ; and God hath promised 
to pardon and bless his seed, his redeemed in him. Hence 
the apostle Paul, in the contemplation of death and 
judgment, while looking at his everlasting security in 
Jesus, cries out—“ Henceforth there is laid up for me a 
crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous 
Judge, shall give me at that day; and not to me only, 
but unto all them that love his appearing.” Behold, then, 
my soul, thy vast privilege; and when, like Job, thou 
art desiring to approach a throne of grace now, or look¬ 
ing forward to a throne of judgment hereafter—never, 
never for a moment forget that this is the way, and the 
only way, (for a blessed sure way it is,) of maintaining 
communion with God in Christ. Thy God, thy Father, 
will not plead against a righteousness of his own appoint¬ 
ing ; but he will put Jesus, his strength, in thee. Hal¬ 
lelujah ! 


These eyes shall see the king in his beauty. 

Isaiah xxxiii. 17. 

Who, my soul, but Jesus could be intended by this 
sweet promise ? And who is beautiful and lovely in thine 
eyes but him ? There was no beauty in him, while thou 
wert in a state of unrenewed nature, that thou shouldst 
desire him; neither can any man truly love him, until 
that a soul is made light in the Lord. Is Jesus then 
lovely to thee ? Hast thou seen him ? Dost thou now 
know him, love him, behold him, as altogether fair, 
and the chiefest among ten thousand? Then, surely, 
this promise hath been, and is, continually fulfilled in 
thy experience. Hast thou so seen him, as to be in love 
with him, and to have all thine affections drawn forth 
towards him ? Dost thou, my soul, so behold him, as to 
admire him, and love him, above all; and so to love 
him as never to be satisfied without him ? Moreover— 
hast thou seen this King in his beauty, in his fulness, 
riches, and suitableness, to thee as a Saviour ? Surely, 



80 


MARCH 20. 


blessed Jesus! there are not only glorious, precious ex¬ 
cellencies in thee, and thine own Divine Person, which 
command the love and affection of every beholder, as 
thou art in thyself; but there is a beauty indeed in thee, 
considered as thou art held forth by our God and Father 
in all thy suitableness, to thy people. In thy beauty, 
blessed Lord! there is to be seen a fulness of grace, and 
truth, and righteousness, exactly corresponding to the 
wants of poor sinners—thy blood to cleanse, thy grace 
to comfort, thy fulness to supply; in thee there is every 
thing we can want—life, light, joy,pardon, mercy, peace, 
happiness here, glory hereafter. And do I not see thee, 
thou King! in thy beauty indeed, when I behold thee 
as coming with all these for my supply ? So that, under 
the enjoyment of the whole, I feel constrained to cry out, 
with one of old, “ I will love thee, O Lord, my strength. 
The Lord is my strength and my song; and he is be¬ 
come my salvation.” Neither is this all: for in behold¬ 
ing the King in his beauty, I behold him also in his 
love. Yes, blessed Lord ! thou art indeed most beau¬ 
tiful and lovely; for thou hast so loved poor sinners as 
to give thyself for them ; and the conscious sense that 
our love to thee did not first begin, but thine to us was 
the first cause for exciting ours, and the shedding forth 
that love in our hearts, by thy blessed Spirit, first prompt¬ 
ed our minds to look unto thee, makes thee lovely indeed. 
And now, Lord, every day’s view of thee increaseth that 
love, and brings home thy beauty more and more. The 
more frequent thou condescendest to visit my poor soul, 
the more beautiful dost thou appear. Every renewed 
manifestation, every view, every glimpse, of Jesus, must 
tend to make my God and King more gracious and lovely 
to my soul, and add fresh fervour to my love. Come, 
then, thou blessed, holy, lovely One, and ravish my 
spiritual senses with thy beauty, that I may daily get 
out of love with every thing of created excellency, and 
my whole soul be filled only with the love of Jesus; 
until, from seeing thee here below, through the me¬ 
diums of ordinances and grace, I come to look upon 
thee, and live for ever in thy presence, in the full 
beams of thy glory in thy throne above. 



MARCH 21. 


81 


Truly our fellowship is with the Father, and 
with his Son Jesus Christ.—1 John i. 3. 

Precious, blessed consideration ! Art thou, my soul, 
at this time in the full enjoyment of it ? Pause over the 
inquiry. Sometimes, for the want of this search of soul, 
and the neglect of it, deadness, or at least leanness, 
creeps in. Say, then, my soul, how art thou dealing with 
thy God ; and how is thy God dealing with thee ? When 
■were his latest manifestations ? When did he take thee 
to his banqueting-house ; or, when didst thou sit under 
his shadow ? Hast thou very lately heard his voice, say¬ 
ing, “ Fear not, I am thy salvation ?” The discovery of 
these things are among the sweetest exercises which flow 
from the indwelling Spirit. Go on further in the inquiry 
—Ho wart thou dealing with thy God? Whenhadst thou 
fellowship and communion with the Father, and with 
his Son Jesus Christ ? What petitions hast thou now 
awaiting for answers from the heavenly court ? What 
grateful acknowledgments have lately gone up for 
mercies received ? How is thine acquaintance there 
advancing ? How art thou growing in grace, and in 
the knowledge of thy Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ ? 
If these things are neglected by thee, will not a strange¬ 
ness between thy'God and thee come on; such as is 
induced by earthly friendships, when absence and time, 
where there is no correspondence kept up, wears out 
remembrance ? My soul! rouse up and consider the 
vast importance of keeping up constant intercourse with 
thy God and Saviour. Precious Jesus ! do thou keep 
the flame of love alive; manifest to my soul the cer¬ 
tainty and reality of my union with thee, thou sweet 
Saviour, by causing this blessed communion to be con¬ 
stant, unceasing, and full of divine communications. 
Let thy Spirit call forth in me the exercise of the graces 
he hath planted; and do thou come forth in refreshing 
manifestations of love; so that, while prayers go up, 
blessings may come down ; and while thou art gracious¬ 
ly saying, “ Seek ye my face,” my heart may say unto 
thee, “ Thy face, Lord, will I seek.” Oh the blessedness 
of such a life! to break the power of sin ; to revive and 
strengthen the spirits; to open and to enlarge to my view 


82 


MARCH 22. 


the discoveries of thy Person, thy glory, thy riches, thy 
suitableness, thine all-sufficiency! If,dearest Jesus! thou 
wilt mercifully keep this fellowship, this partnership, 
alive in my soul, how will my poor soul be living upon 
thee, and with thee; and how shall I be exchanging with 
thee all my leanness, poverty, wretchedness, and weak¬ 
ness, for thy fulness, righteousness, and strength. Come 
then, Lord Jesus ! and until the day break, and the sha¬ 
dows flee away, “ turn, my beloved, and be thou like a 
roe, or a young hart, upon the mountains of Bether !” 


Thus saith the Lord! I remember thee, the 
kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espou¬ 
sals, when thou wentest after me in the wilder¬ 
ness, in a land that was not sown. 

Jeremiah ii. 2. 

Pause, my soul, over this condescending token of 
God’s love to Israel, and see whether it doth not hold 
forth to thee a blessed portion for thy encouragement. 
Israel had been most undeserving; but yet the Lord 
would put Israel in remembrance, by assuring his people 
that he remembered their love when God first formed 
Israel into a people. When he led them into the wilder¬ 
ness, and married Israel, they sung the praise of Jeho¬ 
vah in their love-songs, on the day of their espousals. 
“Now,” saith the Lord, “I remember thee in these 
things; for these were tokens of affection, when thou 
wentest after me, in following the pillar of cloud through 
the desert; in trusting to a harvest, though as yet the 
land was not sown.” And may I, blessed Lord, sweetly 
interpret this precious portion with application to myself, 
as though my God so spake to me of the day of my es¬ 
pousals ? Doth my God and Saviour remember me in 
the first awakenings of his grace, when, at the first men¬ 
tion of his name, my soul made me like the chariots of 
Amminadib ? Well, then, may my soul remember thee, 
O thou God of my salvation! the savour of thy past 
love and past experiences gives now, at this moment, 
new delight to my soul, and awakens new desires of 
communion with my God. The-very recollection of 



MARCH 23. 


83 


what I then was, and how thou calledst me, and made 
my time a time of love ; and how thou passedst by, and 
didst bid me live, and didst cleanse me, and take me 
home, and betrothedst me to thyself, and made me thine 
for ever; the very thoughts refresh my soul now; and 
these former experiences drive away present distresses 
and despondency ! How is it, my soul, with thee now ? 
Art thou less in frame—less in love ? Hast thou not 
the same earnest liking to Jesus now, as then? Is the 
strength of thy love, and desires, and delights, abated ? 
Look at this blessed Scripture. Hear what God saith 
to Israel, in a time of Israel’s coldness. See how God’s 
love was not changed, though Israel’s was so abated. 
Art thou, my soul, conscious of the same ? Art thou 
lamenting it; desiring, waiting for some renewed token 
of thy Jesus’s love ? Is his name, his Person, his right¬ 
eousness, still precious ? Dost thou wait but for the 
whispers of his grace ? See, here it is—“ I remember, 
though thou hast forgotten the day of thine espousals !” 
Oh! the wonderful condescension of the Son of God! 
Behold, my soul, how, in this very way, how he is pre¬ 
paring thine heart for the fenewings of his love, and his 
sweet manifestations towards thee! Oh! cry out with the 
church of old, under similar circumstances, “ Draw me; 
we will run after thee.” Unless thou drawest, Lord, 
the distance will remain ; but the desire of being drawn 
shows the earnestness for union. Lord, I beseech thee, 
do this; bring me near to thyself, to thine everlasting 
embraces: then shall I run, nay, even flee to my be¬ 
loved, and will hang upon thee as the vessel hangeth 
on the nail, and dwell, and remain, with thee for ever. 


By his own blood he entered in once into 
the holy place, having obtained eternal redemp¬ 
tion for us.— Heb. ix. 12. 

Ponder,my soul, these solemn expressions concerning 
thy Jesus. Mark, in them, their vast contents. Jesus, 
as a Prophet, hath revealed his salvation: as a Priest, he 
alone hath procured it, and offered it up to God and the 
Father : and, as a King, he ever lives and reigns to see 
its efficacy fully accomplished in all his redeemed, being 



84 


MARCH 24. 


made partakers of it. Behold in this his priestly office, 
both as an High-Priest and as the sacrifice, what he hath 
wrought, and what he hath accomplished; even eternal 
redemption. Mark, my soul, the several volumes of 
mercy comprised in it. First —Of man’s revolt from 
God. Secondly —The deadly breach by reason thereof. 
Thirdly —The proclamation from heaven, of God’s de¬ 
termined purpose to take vengeance of sin. Fourthly — 
Man’s total inability to appease the divine wrath, either 
by doing or suffering. Fifthly —Divine grace, in the love 
of the Father, permitting a substitute, competent to do 
this great act of salvation, for men ; and appointing and 
constituting no less a Person than his dear Son to the ac¬ 
complishment of it. Sixthly —Jesus, the Son of God, 
voluntarily giving himself an offering and a sacrifice for 
sin, and by that one offering of himself, once offered for 
ever, perfecting them that are sanctified. Seventhly— 
Having thus accomplished the purpose of salvation upon 
earth, Jesus is now by his own blood entered into the 
holy place, to make the whole effectual by the exercise 
of his priestly office in heaven. And lastly, to add no 
more—God accepting and confirming his perfect appro¬ 
bation of the whole, and now proclaiming peace on earth, 
good-will towards men. Ponder over these grand, these 
glorious, these momentous subjects, my soul, this day ! 
Take them about with thee wheresoever thou goest; 
fold them in thy bosom; write them on the tablets of 
thine heart; let them arise with thee, and lie down 
with thee. And, in all thine approaches to the mercy- 
seat, behold Him, and let him never be lost to the view 
of the eye of faith, by whom the whole is wrought, and 
of whom this sweet Scripture speaks; who “ by his 
own blood entered in once into the holy place, having 
obtained eternal redemption for us.” 


I in them, and thou in me, that they may be 
made perfect in one .—John xvii. 23. 

Think, my soul, to what a transcendent honour, to 
what a state of unspeakable happiness, the truly regene¬ 
rated believer in Jesus is begotten. Who shall declare 
it; what heart shall fully conceive it ? Mark, my soul, 



MARCH 24. 


85 


howgraciously thyRedeemerhath pointed itout,in those 
sweet words. Observe the foundation of the whole, in 
that glorious mystery of union between the Father and 
the Son. This is at the bottom of all our mercies, and 
becomes the source and spring of every other. “ Thou in 
me,” saith Jesus ; not only as One in the nature and es¬ 
sence of the Godhead, in a sameness of nature, of design, 
of will, of perfections, and in all the attributes which con¬ 
stitute the distinguishing properties of Jehovah ; but pe¬ 
culiarly as Mediator, the Head of his church and people, 
in communicating all the fulness of the Godhead to dwell 
bodily in Jesus, as the Glory-man, the God-man, the 
Anointed of God. Thus, being one with Christ, and 
dwelling in Christ, in such a way and manner as the God¬ 
head never did, and never can, dwell in any other. And 
as Jesus is thus One with the Father in the essence of the 
Godhead, and the Father in him, dwelling in him, and 
being in him,in all the work of redemption,as Mediator— 
so is Jesus One in the nature of the manhood, with all his 
mystical members. “/ in them,” saith Christ, “ as thou 
art in me.” Jesus is the Head of his body the church, 
and he is their fulness ; and they members of his body, 
of his flesh, and of his bones. Hence result the blessed 
effects which his redeemed all derive from him, that they 
may be made perfect in one. Sweet and precious thought! 
In Jesus they are made perfect. From him they derive 
perfection. As one with him, they are counted and be¬ 
held perfect before God ; and by him they will be found 
so to all eternity. And what particularly endears this 
vie w,this lovely vie w,of the believer’sperfection inChrist 
Jesus, is this : that every individual member of Jesus’s 
mystical body is all alike equally interested in this per¬ 
fection in Jesus. For as it is from the same Spirit dwell¬ 
ing in them all, that they are quickened to this spiritual 
life in Christ Jesus, and are all of them made living mem¬ 
bers, and united to Jesus their one glorious Head; so 
there must be an equally near and dear union to Jesus, 
and to one another. Delightful consideration ! As the 
Apostle reasons upon another consideration, “ The eye 
cannot say to the hand, I have no need of thee ; nor the 
foot say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the 
body.” In Jesus they are all one; neither can any touch 


86 


MARCH 26. 


the least of his people, no more than the apple of his eye, 
without touching him. Is it so, my soul ? And art thou 
one with Jesus, one with the glorious Head, one with 
the precious members ? Hast thou communion in all 
that concerns Christ; communion and interest in his 
Person, communion in his righteousness ; communion 
in his life, in his death, in his resurrection, in his church, 
in his people, in his ordinances, in all that concerns 
Jesus ? O ! then, rest assured that thou shalt have an 
everlasting communion, and nothing shall separate thee 
from Jesus—neither in time nor to all eternity. Go 
down, my body, go down to the grave with this perfect 
confidence'—that if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus 
from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ 
from the dead shall also quicken your mortal body, by 
his Spirit that dwelleth in you. 


The mercy promised .—Luke i. 72. 

The mercy promised ! Why, God graciously pro¬ 
mised many mercies, and most faithfully and fully per¬ 
formed them. Yes! every thing out of hell may well be 
called a mercy. Every child of Adam beareth about 
with him, day by day, tokens of God’s mercy. The air 
we breathe, the garments we put on, the food we eat; all 
the comforts, conveniences, enjoyments of life; these are 
all mercies. But none of these are what the sweet por¬ 
tion of the morning points at. It is here a particular, a 
special, one specific mercy. And who can this mean, 
my soul, but Jesus, thy Jesus ? He is indeed the mercy 
promised; the first mercy, the. first promise ; the first, 
best, and comprehensive gift of God in the Bible. He 
is, indeed, the mercy of mercies, the first-born, the sum 
and substance of every other. He is essential to make 
all other mercies really and truly mercies ; for, without 
him, they ultimately prove injurious. He is essential to 
put a sweetness, to give a relish, a value, an importance, 
to every other. Where Jesus is, there is mercy ; where 
Jesus is not, what can profit ? My soul! hast thou con¬ 
sidered this ? Dost thou know it ? Is Jesus thine ? Is 
this mercy promised, really, truly given to thee ? Hast 
thou taken him home to thine house, to thine heart ? 



MARCH 26. 


87 


Pause ! If it be so, how dost thou value him, know him, 
use him, live to him* walk with him, hope in him, rejoice 
in him, and make him thine all ? Hast thou received 
him as a free mercy, an undeserved mercy ? Hast thou 
accepted him as so seasonable a mercy, that without him 
thou wouldst have been undone for ever ? Is he now so 
truly satisfying- to thee in all thy desires, for time and 
for eternity, that thou canst bid adieu to every enjoy¬ 
ment, if needful; and, looking up to Jesus, canst truly 
say, “ Whom have I in heaven but thee ? and there is 
none upon earth that I desire beside thee ! O my soul! 
if this be thy portion, then hast thou a Benjamin’s por¬ 
tion indeed ! God thy Father hath given thee indeed the 
mercy promised ; and Jesus is, and will be, thy mercy, 
and the mercy of all mercies, to all eternity. Amen. 


Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the honey¬ 
comb .—Song iv. 11. 

While Jesus is so precious to his people, that they seek 
him in every thing that is lovely, and indeed can discover 
nothing to be lovely until they have found Jesus in it; 
what an endearment is it to the soul of a believer, when 
he discovers Jesus looking upon him, eyeing him, and 
even commending Jesus’s own graces, which he hath 
imparted to the soul, brought out into exercise again by 
the influences of his own Holy Spirit. My soul! canst 
thou really be led to believe that Jesus is speaking to his 
church, to his fair one, his spouse, to every individual 
soul of his redeemed and regenerated ones, in those 
sweet words of the Song ? Doth Jesus, the Son of God, 
call thee his spouse; and doth he say thy lips drop as the 
honeycomb? Pause, my soul, and ponder over these 
gracious words of thy God. By thy lips, no doubt, 
Jesus means thy words ; of which Solomon saith— 
“Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the 
soul, and health to the bones.” Prov. xvi. 24. Do thy 
lips drop in prayer, in praise,in conversation,in Christian 
fellowship, in ordinances, and in all the ordinary inter¬ 
course of life ? Is Jesus thy one theme ; his name, his 
love, his grace, his work, his salvation ; what he hath 
done, what he hath wrought! how he hath loved, how 



88 


MARCH 27. 


he hath lived, how he hath died, how he now lives again 
to appear in the presence of God for his people ; and to 
give out of his fulness, his mercies, his treasures; in 
visits, in manifestations, and the ten thousand number¬ 
less, nameless, ways by which he proves himself to be 
Jesus ? Do thy lips, my soul, drop in these topics when 
thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, when 
thou risest up ; and when thou goest in before the pre¬ 
sence of God, in the public worship of the temple, or the 
private closetwhere no eye seeth thee but Him that seeth 
in secret? And doth thy Jesus really mark these things ? 
Doth he condescend to notice his poor creature, and to 
esteem these droppings as the sweetness of the honey ? 
Precious God ! precious Jesus ! what a love is here. 
Oh! for grace, for love, for life, for every suited gift 
of my God and Saviour; that my lips, from the abun¬ 
dance of the heart, may drop indeed as the honeycomb—• 
sweetly, freely, not by constraint, except the constraint 
of thy love ; but constantly, unceasingly, for ever, as the 
drops of the honeycomb which follow one another; that 
prayer may follow praise, and praise succeed to prayer; 
and that there may be a succession in magnifying and 
adoring the riches of grace ; that the name of Jesus may 
be always in my mouth; and from that one blessed 
source, that Jesus lives in my heart, and rules, and 
reigns, and is formed there the hope of glory. 


' The trumpet of the jubilee.— Levit. xxv. 9. 

My soul! pause over the subject of the jubilee trum¬ 
pet ; for surely much of gospel was proclaimed by it. 
It should seem that there were four distinct and special 
sounds of the trumpet in the camp of Israel. The trum¬ 
pet of memorials, so called, (Levit. xxiii. 24,) was blown 
on the occasion of the new moon, calling the people to 
the joyful assembly, Psalm lxxxi. 3. There was also 
the fast trumpet, of which the prophet speaks, Joel ii. 
1 Besides these, the war trumpet gave a certain sound 
to prepare to battle, 1 Cor. xiv. 8. And this of the Ju¬ 
bilee , which differed from all. And although the jubi¬ 
lee trumpet was never heard but once in fifty years, yet 
so sweet and so distinguishing was the sound, that no 



MARCH 28. 


89 


poor captive, among the servants in the camp of Israel, 
was at a moment’s loss to understand its gracious mean¬ 
ing. Say, my soul, is not the gospel-sound, when first 
heard by the ear of faith, precisely the same ? When 
pardon was first proclaimed to thee by the blood of 
Christ, and the day of his atonement so manifested to 
thy spiritual senses, that the captivity of sin and Satan 
lost their power upon thee, was not this indeed the 
jubilee trumpet, and the acceptable year of the Lord? 
Hast thou heard this joyful sound ? Hath the Son of 
God made thee free ? Hath Jesus caused thee to return 
to thy long-lost, long-forfeited, inheritance ? And wilt 
thou ever forget the unspeakable mercy ? Hail! thou 
Almighty Deliverer, thou Redeemer of thy captives ! I 
had sold my possession, sold myself, for naught; and 
thou hast redeemed it for me again without money. I 
had sold it indeed, but could not alienate it for ever, 
because the right of redemption was with thee. Yes, 
blessed Jesus! thou art He whom thy brethren shall 
praise. Thou art the next of kin, the nearest of all re¬ 
lations, and the dearest of all brothers! And thou hast 
redeemed both soul and body, both lands and inherit¬ 
ance by thy blood; and so redeemed the whole as never 
more to be lost again or forfeited for ever. And now. 
Lord, thy jubilee trumpet sounds; and the proclama¬ 
tion of the everlasting gospel is heard in our land, to 
give liberty to the captive, sight to the bli^d, to bring 
the prisoners out of the prison, and them that sit in 
darkness out of the prison-house ! Oh ! cause me to 
know the joyful sound, and daily to walk in the light 
of thy countenance. Cause me, by the sweet influences 
of thy Spirit, to live in the constant expectation of the 
year of the everlasting jubilee, when the trumpet of the 
archangel shall finally sound, and all thy redeemed shall 
then return to Zion with songs of everlasting joy upon 
their heads ; when they shall obtain joy and gladness, 
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. Hallelujah ! 

For where a testament is, there must also 
of necessity be the death of the testator : for 
a testament is of force after men are dead, 

8 * 



90 


MARCH 28. 


otherwise it is of no strength at all whilst the 
testator liveth.— Heb. ix. 16, 17. 

Behold, my soul, how graciously the Holy Ghost hath 
here represented the necessity of Jesus’s death, in order 
that the testament, or will, he left behind him, might 
have the intended effect; and all the benefits and bless¬ 
ings he bequeathed in it to his people, might be fully 
paid and made over to them for their present peace and 
everlasting happiness. Now, my soul, mark down, for 
this day’s special meditation, the many precious things 
here contained. Observe how very accommodating the 
Holy Ghost is to explain to thee divine things, by the 
similitude of human transactions. As a man makes his 
will, so Jesus made his. As what a man gives is alto¬ 
gether a free and voluntary act, so Jesus was not con¬ 
strained by what he gave in his blessed will; but the 
whole was the result of his own free, gracious, and ever¬ 
lasting love. And as a man must die before his will 
can be put in force, so Jesus must, and did die, that his 
testament and will might have the full effect also. But 
there is one sweet point more to be taken into this ac¬ 
count, in which, my soul, thy Jesus hath infinitely sur¬ 
passed all men in this article of their* wills. When a 
man dies, he appoints by will an executor, to whom he 
must trust the management of all his effects after his 
decease: and should his executor prove unfaithful, his 
best designs for those he loved, when living, may all fail 
of the end when he is dead. Now here lies the sweet¬ 
ness of Jesus’s willHe not only made the will, but he 
himself will see it fully executed; for as he died once, 
in order that by his death his will might be confirmed, so 
he ever liveth to see the whole of his blessed gifts and 
legacies paid. Precious, precious Jesus ! how sure then 
is thy will, and the certainty of every tittle of it being 
fulfilled. Now, my soul, there are two grand things 
which concern thee to inquire concerning the will of the 
Lord Jesus. The first is, whether thou hast any interest 
in it? And the second is, what the Lord Jesus hath left 
behind him ? Recollect, my soul, that in this instance, 
as in the former, when men make their wills, it is to 
dispose of their effects to their relations, their friends, 


MARCH 29. 


91 


their families. Jesus also hath his relations, his friends, 
his family. Yes! thou dear Lord ! thou condescendest 
to call thy people thy spouse, thy brethren, thy children, 
thy jewels, thy redeemed ! My soul! dost thou claim 
relationship to Jesus? Canst thou prove, or hast thou 
proved, his will ? Is Jesus thine Husband ? Hath he 
betrothed thee to himself? Again—Hast thou the marks 
of a child in God’s family? Art thou born again? 
Again—If you are his, then hast thou his Spirit; for he 
that is joined to the Lord is one Spirit. If you are a 
child of God, and a joint-heir with Christ, then art thou 
under his divine leadings ; for as many as are led by the 
Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. If thou hast 
these marks of relationship, thou mayst safely look for 
his gifts. Surely Jesus hath remembered in his legacies 
his spouse, his children. And oh ! what an inventory 
wilt thou find, my soul, under the second inquiry, when 
thou hast fully proved the first! Oh! what legacies, what 
gifts, what an inheritance, art thou entitled to by the 
will of Jesus ! All temporal blessings, all spiritual bless¬ 
ings, all eternal blessings ! Pardon, mercy, peace, in the 
blood of his cross; the sweet enjoyment of all provi¬ 
dences in this life, and the sure possession of everlasting 
happiness in that which is to come ! Oh! how true was 
it, my God and Saviour, when thou didst say, “ I will 
cause them that love me to inherit substance !” 


The precious ointment upon the head that 
ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard, 
that went down to the skirts of his garments. 

Psalm cxxxiii. 2. 

My soul, behold, in the anointing here set forth of 
the Jewish high-priest, a type of His anointing who is a 
Priest for ever, and a Priest upon his throne ; and while 
looking at Aaron, say as the Lord Jesus did upon another 
occasion concerning Solomon, “A greater than Aaron is 
here.” It is sweet, very sweet, and very profitable, to 
behold the old church shadowing forth the new, and the 
law ministering to the gospel. Yes, blessed Jesus ! I 
behold in Aaron, and in the precious ointment poured 



92 


MARCH 29. 


forth upon his head, thus running 1 down to the skirts of 
his garments, the beautiful representation of that fulness 
of the Spirit, which was poured out upon thee without 
measure ; that from thee the communication might flow 
down to the poorest, the humblest, the lowest of thy 
members, even to the very skirts of thy clothing. It 
pleased the Father that in thee should all fulness dwell; 
that of that fulness all thy people might receive, and 
grace for grace. And by virtue of our interest in thee 
and union with thee, all thy people do richly partake of 
communion in all thy benefits, blessings, mercies. The 
sun shines not to itself, nor for itself, but to impart light 
and life to others: so dost thou, the Sun of Righteous¬ 
ness, shine forth in all thy glory, not for thyself, but to 
bless, and enliven, and give out of all thy grace and ful¬ 
ness, every suited blessing, according to the measure of 
the gift of Christ. My soul! bring home these precious 
truths to the conviction of experience. Was Jesus in¬ 
deed anointed for his people ? Was grace poured into 
his lips ? Was he, like Aaron, so installed into the office 
of the priesthood, and the Holy Spirit so unmeasurably 
communicated to him, on purpose that all his little ones 
should partake of this unspeakable gift of God ? Did 
God the Father say to Jesus, “I will pour my Spirit upon 
thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring ? “ Well 
then, my soul, hast thou partaken of the Holy Spirit ? 
Hast thou communion with Jesus in all that concerns thy 
salvation ? A child of God, a joint-heir with Christ, and 
a soul begotten of the Holy Spirit hath interest and 
communion in all that belongs .to Jesus, as the Great 
Head and Mediator of his church ; interested in his Per¬ 
son, interested in his work, interested in his righteous¬ 
ness, in his life, in his death, in his resurrection, in his 
everlasting priestly office, and in his everlasting glory. 
What sayeth my soul to these things ? Go, my soul, go 
this morning, go in the strength of this interest, and look 
at a throne of grace, within the vail, whither thy fore¬ 
runner is for thee entered: behold thy glorious Aaron, 
wearing the priestly vestments still, and having all grace, 
all fulness ; waiting to be gracious, and to impart of 
that fulness to thy necessities; and having received 
gifts for men, yea, for thee, the most rebellious, that the 


MARCH 30. 


93 


Lord God might dwell among them. Lord, proportion 
thy mercies to my wants! and as the day is, so let the 
strength be! 


So then with the mind I myself serve the 
law of God; but with the flesh the law of 
sin .—Romans vii. 25. 

Is this thy language, my soul ? Hast thou learnt with 
Paul, with Job, with Isaiah, and all the faithful gone be¬ 
fore, to loathe thyself in thine own sight ? Dost thou 
groan, being burdened with a body of sin which drags 
down the soul? Pause over this view of human nature. 
In the first place—think, my soul, what humbling 
thoughts such a state of corruption ought to induce. 
Though the mind be regenerated, though with the mind 
the believer serves the law of God, delights in the law 
of God, loves the law, and would make it the subject 
of devout meditation all the day: yet such is the body 
of sin, the flesh, with its affections, and appetites, and 
desires, that it draws away the attention, imperiously 
puts in its claims, and rises up in rebellion continually. 
And are the souls of God’s children thus exercised, 
thus afflicted, in the struggles between the different mo¬ 
tions of grace and corruption from day to day? Yes! 
such is the state, such the uniform experience of God’s 
people in all ages. Paul thus complains, though he 
had been so highly sanctified. Perhaps there never 
was a child of God brought into closer and more inti¬ 
mate communion with God. He had been caught up to 
the third heaven, and heard unspeakable words. He had 
laboured more than all the apostles. He had been con¬ 
verted by a miracle from heaven, and by the immediate 
call of the Lord Jesus personally to him. But yet this 
highly favoured servant of the Lord, this blessed apostle, 
who was continually flying on the wings of zeal and love 
in the service of his Master, even he, with his flesh, he 
tells us, served the law of sin ; nay, he felt and disco¬ 
vered a law of sin, in his members, warring against the 
law of his mind, and bringing him into captivity to the 
law of sin, which was in his members; and under a 
deep distress of soul he cried out—“ O wretched man 



94 


MARCH 31. 


that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this 
death?” Is it so, then, my soul, with thee also ? Dost 
thou discover the same in thy experience ? Dost thou 
feel the rebellions of sin rising up within thee? Dost 
thou detect thine heart wandering, even in the moment 
of solemn exercises ; and in short, thine own body, the 
worst and greatest enemy thou hast to contend with? 
Oh! then, learn, from hence, what humbling views 
oughtest thou to have of thyself, and to lay low in the 
dust in consequence thereof, before God. When thou 
hast duly Contemplated this state of a fallen nature, let 
thy next improvement of this subject be to endear the 
Lord Jesus to thee, my soul, more and more ; to fly 
out of thyself, to fly to Jesus, to take refuge in him and 
his great salvation ; from even thyself, with all that body 
of sin and death, under which thou thus continually 
groanest; and to derive herefrom a daily and hourly 
conviction yet more strong and unanswerably conclu¬ 
sive, that nothing but the blood of Jesus can cleanse, 
nothing but the righteousness of Jesus can save and 
justify, a sinner. Say, as Paul did, when from the bot¬ 
tom of his heart that soul-piercing question arose, 
“ Who shall deliver me from the body of this death ? I 
thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” 


Having a desire to depart, and to be with 
Christ— Philipp . i. 23. 

My soul! thou hast not, I hope, dismissed the solemn 
thoughts opened to thy view by the Scripture of yester¬ 
day. Surely, since that last morning, thou hast had but 
too many renewed occasions to feel the truth of it. Sin 
is not only present with thee at all times, but in thee, 
and as inseparable from thy unrenewed part, as the sha¬ 
dow from the substance. Thou knowest this, thou feel- 
est it, thou groanest under it; and the consciousness of 
it is, in itself, enough to make thee go humbly all thy 
days. All other afflictions are nothing to this affliction ; 
this, like the ocean compared to rivers, surpasseth and 
swalloweth up all. It is indeed a soul-supporting thought, 
(and, blessed be God, thou feelest the sweetness of it,) 
that under all, and in all, Jesus is thy hope. And while 



MARCH 31. * 


95 


sin is always present with thee, Jesus, thy Advocate and 
Propitiation, is present for thee with the Father. But 
though in Him and his righteousness accepted and secure, 
yet the consideration how much thy daily short-comings 
and transgressions dishonour God, and deprive thee of 
comfort here, is matter sufficient to make thine eyes run 
down with water, and thine heart continually to mourn 
before the mercy-seat. And will these things always 
be the same, whilst thou carriest about with thee this 
body of sin ? Shall this perishing partof thine be always 
so unfavourable to the sweet and gracious desires of the 
soul ? Shall I never, never truly and uninterruptedly 
enjoy Jesus until the body is dissolved, and the dust 
returns to the earth, out of which that part of my nature 
was taken ? Pause, my soul, and say—Hast thou not 
then a desire to depart, and to be with Christ ? Is not 
the grave, in this view;, not only made bearable, but 
even desirable—nay, even pleasant \ What! shall I 
never be wholly free from sin, until that I am wholly 
freed from the body ? Shall I never be secure of sweet 
enjoyment with Jesus in ordinances, in retirement, in 
prayer, in praise, until that I drop this body of sin ? 
And wouldst thou not, my soul, gladly part with such 
a partner, near and dear as it is, if this partner, in its 
present state, so dreadfully robs thee of the most precious 
enjoyments ? It is true, death in itself is not desirable ; 
but if only by dying thou canst enjoy Jesus ; and if only 
by dying this body will lose its corruptions : if the grave 
hath a commission from thy Jesus to destroy that part 
only of thy body which is corrupt, and,at the same time, 
to act as a preserver of that part which Jesus, at the last 
day, will raise up to glory ; if Jesus hath assured thee 
that, though.worms destroy thy corrupt part, yet thine 
eyes, even thy bodily eyes, when raised up by Jesus a 
glorified body, shall see God ; and if thy body, thus 
raised up and reanimated, shall then be not only wholly 
freed from all corruption, but equally disposed as the 
soul to praise thy God and Saviour for ever and for 
ever, and both soul and body unite as dear friends in 
this blessed service : oh ! then, from henceforth never, 
my soul, look at death any more but as thy kind friend. 
It is to die to sin; but it is to live to Jesus. It is to be 


96 


APRIL 1. 


dead to all things but Jesus, that Jesus may be all things 
in life for ever. Oh ! then, for this desire to depart, 
and to be with Christ. 


APRIL. 

And this is his name whereby he shall be 
called— The Lord our Righteousness. 

Jeremiah xxiii. 6. 

Begin this month, my soul, with contemplating thy 
Jesus in this glorious distinction of character ; and beg 
of God the Holy Ghost, who hath here declared that, 
under this character, Jesus sljall be known and called, 
that etery day through the month, and through the w r hole 
of life, thou mayst find grace and strength so to know 
and so to call Jesus, as to he everlastingly satisfied that 
thou art made the righteousness of God in him. And 
first, my soul, consider who and what this Holy One is. 
He is the Lord Jehovah. In the glories of his essence , 
he is One with the Father. In his personal glories, he 
is the Lord thy Mediator. And in his relative glories, he 
is thy righteousness. For, by virtue of his taking thy 
nature, what he is as Mediator and as the Surety of his 
people, he is for them. Pause over this blessed view, 
and then say, what can be more blessed than thus to 
behold Jesus as what he is in himself for his people ? 
Look at him again, my soul, and take another view of 
him in his loveliness ; in what he is to his people. This 
precious Scripture saith, that he is the Lord our Right¬ 
eousness ; that is, by virtue of his Godhead he is our 
Righteousness, in such a sure way, and with su'ch ever¬ 
lasting value and efficacy, as no creature could be. The 
righteousness his redeemed possess in him, and have a 
right in him, and are entitled to in him, is the righteous¬ 
ness of God ; and therefore impossible ever to be lost, 
and impossible ever to be fully recompensed in glory. 
Sweet and blessed consideration ! it seems too great to 
be believed. And so it would, indeed, if the authority 
of Jehovah had not stamped it, and made the belief of 
it the first and highest act of a poor sinner’s obedience. 
And observe, my. soul, yet further, there is this blessed 



APRIL 2. 


97 


addition to the account— he shall be called so. By whom ? 
Nay,by every one thatknowshim. The poor sinnershall 
call him so, who is led to see and feel that he hath no 
righteousness of his own ; he shall call Jesus his Lord, 
his Righteousness; he shall call him so to others ; he 
shall call upon him for himself; he shall be that true 
Israelite, that very One whom the Prophet describes— 
“ Surely shall one say, in the Lord have I righteousness 
and strength.” The redeemed upon earth, the redeemed 
in heaven, the church of the first-born, shall call him 
so. The whole army of patriarchs and prophets, and 
apostles, all shall know Jesus as the Lord our Right¬ 
eousness. Nay, God himself, our Father, shall call his 
dear Son by this glorious name ; for it is He who hath 
constituted and appointed him as the Lord our Right¬ 
eousness. And that Jesus is our Righteousness is from 
this very cause, “that he is made of God to us wusdom 
and righteousness, sanctification and redemption, that he 
that glorieth may glory in the Lord.” Now, my soul! 
what sayest thou to this sweet view of Jesus in this most 
precious Scripture ? Is not this name of Jesus most 
grateful to thee, as ointment of the richest fragrancy 
poured forth ? Can any name be as sweet and delight¬ 
ful to one convinced, as thou art, that all thy righteous¬ 
ness is as dung and dross, as that of Jesus the Lord our 
Righteousness ? Witness for me, ye angels of light, that 
I renounce every other; and from henceforth will make 
mention of his righteousness, and his only. Yes, blessed 
Jesus ! my mouth shall daily speak of thy righteousness 
and salvation; for I know no end thereof. 

And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon 
the head of the live goat, and confess over 
him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, 
and all their transgressions in all their sins, 
putting them upon the head of the goat, and 
shall send him away by the hand of a fit man 
into the wilderness. And the goat shall bear 
upon him all their iniquities, unto a land not 
inhabited.— Levit. xvi. 21, 22. 

9 



98 


APRIL 2. 


Pause, my soul! and behold the tender mercy of thy 
God, in thus causing to be represented to the church of 
old, by so striking a service, that grand and most mo¬ 
mentous doctrine of the gospel, which, in after ages'of 
the church, was fully set forth and completed when Je¬ 
hovah laid upon our Lord Jesus Christ the iniquities of 
his people. And do, my soul, attend to those several 
most interesting points here graciously revealed. As 
first—This was at the express command of God. Yes ! 
who but God could transfer or permit a change of per¬ 
sons in the transferring of sin ? This is one of the most 
blessed parts of the gospel, that when Jesus bore our sins 
in his own body on the tree, it was by the express will 
and appointment of Jehovah. The Lord Jesus took not 
those sins on himself; but the Lord laid on him the 
iniquity of us all. Mark this down in strong characters. 
Then next consider—that as Jesus had a transfer of all 
the sins of his people, consequently they were no longer 
upon the people, from whom they were transferred. 
Here faith finds full scope for exercise, in giving God 
credit due to God. The sending away the goat was in¬ 
tended to represent the full remission of sins ; and by 
the goat bearing them away into a land not inhabited, 
intimated that those sins should never be seen nor known 
any more, according to that precious Scripture of the 
Holy Ghost by the Prophet— The iniquity of Israel shall 
be sought for , and there shall be none ; and the sins of 
Judah , and they shall not be found. Jeremiah 1. 20. 
And there is one sweet thought more, not to be over¬ 
looked in this blessed Scripture concerning those sins. 
Observe, my soul, the particularity of the expression. 
The confession of Aaron, the great high-priest, was not 
only of all the iniquities of the children of Israel, but all 
their transgressions in all their sins. Pause, my soul! 
over this view, and recollect that there are many, and 
sometimes very heinous and aggravated circumstances of 
transgression in thy sins. Now what a sweet thought of 
relief to thy mind is it, under particular and gallingcir- 
cumstancesof sin, to behold thy Jesus bearing thy sins, 
and all the transgression of all thy sins. The Lord 
causeth to meet in him , as the passage might have been 
rendered, the iniquities of us all. Isaiah liii. 6. Jesus was 


APRIL 3. 


made as the common receiver, the drain, the sink into 
which all the sins, and every minute and particular sin, 
was emptied. “ He shall drink of the brook in the way,” 
said the Holy Ghost. Psalm cx. 7. Was not this the 
black and filthy brook of Cedron into which all the filth 
from the sacrifices of the temple was emptied? Here it 
was Jesus passed, when, in the night of his entering on 
his passion, he went into the garden. Look to this, my 
soul, and see whether it doth not strikingly, though so¬ 
lemnly, at the same time, set forth Jesus bearing all and 
every particular transgression in all thy sins. One 
thought more. The goat, thus laden with all the sins of 
the people, was to be sent away by the hand of some fit 
man into the wilderness. As none but Jesus could be 
competent to bear sins, so none but Jesus could be fit 
to bear them away into a land of everlasting forgetful¬ 
ness. It doth not lessen the beauty of this blessed Scrip¬ 
ture in the representation here made, in Jesus being 
set forth under two characters; for he is so in many. 
None but Jesus can indeed accomplish all; he is the 
High-Priest, the Altar, and the Sacrifice, through all 
the law; and he is the fit man here represented, as well 
as the burden-bearer of sin. Hail! thou Great High- 
Priest ! Blessed for ever be thou who hast borne away 
all the sins of thy people into a land not inhabited. 
Thou hast crossed out, in God’s book of account, each 
and every individual sin, and the transgression of all our 
sins, in the red letters of thy blood ; and never shall 
they appear again to the condemnation of thy people. 

A man of sorrows, and acquainted with 
grief .—Isaiah liii. 3. 

My soul! there is one feature in thy Redeemer’s cha¬ 
racter which, in the unequalled abasement of his Person, 
demands thy constant contemplation. I fear it hath not 
been considered by thee as it ought. And yet it is so 
sweetly accommodating and lovely, that the more thou 
beholdest thy Jesus in this tender light, the more en¬ 
deared he must appear to thee. The Prophet, under the 
Holy Ghost, hath here in a few words sketched the out¬ 
lines of it—“ A man of sorrows , and acquainted with 
grief.” It was more essential that Jesus should be all 



100 


APRIL 3. 


this, because it belonged to the curse which he became 
for his people, when he offered himself as their Surety. 
You will remember, my soul, the curse which God pro¬ 
nounced upon the earth, and man’s passage through it 
when he broke the divine law. The ground was cursed : 
the product of it was to be thorns and thistles ; in sorrow, 
and in the sweat of the brow, was man to eat bread ; and, 
at length, death was to close the life. Now it behoved 
Him, who undertook to remove the curse, to bear that 
curse before the removal of it; and, as such, it behoved 
Jesus to be a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. 
Hence all these seized on the Lord Jesus in the first mo¬ 
ment he assumed our nature. And though he had no sin 
in his nature, not being born in the ordinary way of our 
nature, yet, as a Surety, he was at once exposed to all 
the frailties, in the sinless sorrows, and travails, and 
labours of it. This sentence would not have been ful¬ 
filled, had not Jesus eat bread in the sweat of his brow. 
So interesting a part, therefore, was it in Christ’s life 
that he should labour in a common occupation, that this 
part of the curse might not go by without being accom¬ 
plished. And how eminently, my soul, was this part in¬ 
deed fulfilled, when, inthe garden, the sweat of his brow 
was drops of blood! How full of thorns and thistles was 
the earth to Jesus, may be, in some measure considered, 
when we behold him in the unequalled sorrows of the 
opposition he met with from the world, the unkindness 
of friends, the malice of enemies. The thorny crown put 
upon his sacred head was little considered by those that 
put it; but yet it was, in reality, crowning him Lord of 
sorrow and grief, beyond all men that were ever exer¬ 
cised with affliction. So great, indeed, was the continued 
load he bore of grief, and so much did it tend to waste 
and wear the spirits, that according to that expression 
of the Jews to him —thou art not yet fifty years old —evi¬ 
dently proved, that he had the visage of one of fifty, 
when only thirty. And it is remarkable, though we are 
told that Jesus rejoiced in Spirit, yet we never read 
that he was once seen to laugh during his whole life. 
Precious Jesus ! enable me ever to be looking unto 
thee, thou meek and lowly Lamb of God. And may I 
never lose sight of this sweet part of thy character also, 


APRIL 4. 


101 


that whilst thou didst bear our sins, so didst thou carry 
our sorrows ; and in fulfilling the law, didst take away 
the curse also, when in sorrow thou didst eat bread all 
the days of thy life ! 


A place called Gethsemane.— Matt . xxvi. 36. 

My soul! let thy morning meditation be directed to 
the garden of Gethsemane, that memorable spot sacred 
to the believer, because so much beloved and resorted to 
by Jesus. Here Jesus oft came with his disciples. And 
here, my soul, do thou often take the wing of faith, and 
flee in devout contemplation. Was this place dear to thee, 
thou precious Redeemer! And was it not because here 
thou didst enjoy the sweetest refreshings in communion 
with the Father ? Was it not because here thou knewest 
would begin the conflict and the agony, in which the 
great business for which thou earnest on earth would be 
accomplished ? Didst thou abide here, Lord, a whole 
night, after a day’s constant preaching to the people, the 
week only before thy crucifixion ; (see Luke xxi. 117;) 
and when the night was past, didst thou again repair to 
the temple to the same employ? Was Gethsemane dear 
to Jesus ? Was here his favourite haunt? And shall 
not my soul delight to be oft here in solemn meditation ? 
Will not my Lord lead me there, and go with me there, 
and sweetly speak to me there ? that while, in imagination, 
I tread the sacred ground, my soul may view the several 
spots, and say— Here it was, perhaps, my Redeemer was 
withdrawn a stone’s cast from his disciples, that the 
powers of darkness might more furiously assault his holy 
soul; and here stood the angel sent from heaven to 
strengthen him ; and here the Lord Jesus was* in his 
agony, when the sweat of his body forced through all 
the pores great drops of blood, falling down to the 
ground ! Is this Gethsemane ? And why Gethsemane ? 
The Jews called it Ge-hennon , or Hell; for here it was 
Josiah burnt the idol-vessels. 2 Kings xxiii. 4, 5, 6, 10. 
And it is the same as Tophet , the only word the Jews used 
for hell after their return from the Babylonish captivity. 
The field of Cedron was indeed a dark and gloomy place ; 
and by its side ran the foul and black brook which Jesus 



102 


APRIL 4. 


passed over when he went into Gethsemane. Here David, 
of old, went mourning and lamenting, when Ahithophel, 
like another Judas, betrayed him, and his life was 
sought after. 2 Sam. xv. 23. And here the Son of 
David passed also, when the man, of whom David by 
the spirit of prophecy spake, (Psalm xli. 9,) which eat 
bread with Jesus, lifted up his heel against him. And 
was this Gethsemane the favoured spot of Jesus, because 
he had so sweetly enjoyed communion with his Father, 
and because here he should encounter the powers of 
darkness ? Learn then, my soul, from thy Jesus, where 
thou oughtest to seek grace m a refreshing hour, to com¬ 
fort a trying hour. Say, my soul, where should be thy 
dying place, but where thy God hath most blessed thy 
living place ? There, Jesus, make my seasons (if needs 
be) of conflict, where thou hast sanctified and made 
blessed by thy Bethel visits. And was a garden the fa¬ 
voured spot of Jesus ? Yes ! it was in a garden the first 
Adam lost himself and his posterity; there, then, Jesus 
will recover the forfeited inheritance. Did the devil be¬ 
gin in Eden to ruin man ? Why, then, in Gethsemane 
Jesus will begin to conquer hell for man’s recovery. 
Did Satan, from the garden, bind and. carry captive the 
first Adam ? Then from a garden also shall he cause to 
be bound, and carried away to the cross, the second 
Adam, that he, by death, might destroy him that had 
the power of death—that is, the devil—and deliver them 
who, through fear of death, are all their lifetime sub¬ 
ject to -bondage. Solemn Gethsemane ! awful, but 
hallowed spot! here would I often come ; here contem¬ 
plate Jesus, my blessed Surety, groaning, yet conquer¬ 
ing ; pressed under all the hellish malice of the devil, yet 
triumphing over all; deserted by his disciples, sweating 
a bloody sweat, sustaining the wrath of offended justice, 
drinking the cup of trembling ! Is this Gethsemane ? 
O thou Lamb of God ! thou Paschal Lamb! here oft 
bring me; here show me thy loves ; and as thy joys 
were here turned into sorrows, give me to see how the 
curses which I deserved, but which thou didst endure, 
were converted into blessings, and that by thy stripes 
I am healed. Hail, sacred Gethsemane ! 



APRIL 5. 


103 


Being in an agony.— Luke xxii. 44. 

My soul! art thou still in Gethsemane ! Look at Jesus 
once more : behold him in his agony; view him in his 
bloody sweat, in a night of cold, and in the open air, 
when we are told the servants in the high-priest’s hall 
were obliged to make afire of coals, to warm themselves. 
In such a night was thy Jesus, from the extremity of an¬ 
guish in his soul, by reason of thy sins, made to sweat 
great drops of blood. Look at the Lord in this situation ! 
and as the Prophet, by vision, beheld him coming up 
with his dyed garments, as one that had trodden the 
wine-fat; so do thou, by faith, behold him in his bloody 
sweat, when, from treading the wine-press of the wrath 
of God, under the heavy load of the world’s guilt, his 
whole raiment was stained with blood. Sin first made 
man to sweat; and Jesus, though he knew no sin, yet 
taking out the curse of it for his people, is made to sweat 
blood ! O thou meek and holy Lamb of God ! me- 
thinks I would, day by day, attend the garden of Geth¬ 
semane by faith, and contemplate thee in thine agony. 
But who shall unfold it to my wondering eyes, or explain 
all its vast concerns to my astonished soul. The evange¬ 
lists, by their different turns of expression to point it out, 
plainly show that nothing within the compass of language 
can unfold it. Matthew saith, the soul of Jesus was 
exceeding sorrowful , even unto death . Matt. xxvi. 38. 
The sorrows of hell, as is elsewhere mentioned, encom¬ 
passed him. Psalm xviii. 5. My soul! pause over this. 
Was Jesus's soul thus sorrowful, even with hell sorrows, 
when, from the sins of his people charged on him, and 
the penalty exacted from him as the sinner’s Surety, the 
wrath of God against sin, lighting upon him, came as 
the tremendous vengeance of hell ? Mark describes the 
state of the Lamb of God as sore amazed. The expres¬ 
sion signifies a horror of mind; such a degree of fear 
and consternation as when the hairs of the head stand 
upright through the dread of the mind. And was Jesus 
thus agonized, and for sins his soul had never committed, 
when standing forth as the Surety of others? John's 
expression of the Redeemer’s state, on this occasion, 
is, that he said his soul was troubled. John xii. 27. 


104 


APRIL 6. 


The original of this word troubled is the same as the 
Latins derive their word for hell from. As if the Lord 
Jesus felt what the Prophet had said concerning ever¬ 
lasting burnings. Isaiah xxxiii. 14. “ My heart,” said 

that patient sufferer, “ Is like wax; it is melted in the 
midst of my bowels.” Psalm xxii. 14. Hence Moses, 
and after him Paul, in the view of God’s taking ven¬ 
geance on sin, describes him under that awful account— 
Our God is a consuming fire. Deut. iv. 24; Heb. xii. 29. 
Beholding his Father thus coming forth to punish sin in 
his person, Jesus said— Mine iniquities have taken hold 
upon me, therefore my heartfaileth me. Psalm xl. 12. 
And Luke folds up the account of Jesus with being in 
an agony ; such a labouring of nature as implies an uni¬ 
versal convulsion: as dying men with cold clammy 
sweats ; so Jesus, scorched with the hot wrath of God on 
sin, sweated, in his agony, clots of blood! My soul! 
canst thou hold out any longer ? Will not thine eye-strings 
and heart-strings break, thus to look on Jesus in his agony ? 
O precious Jesus ! were the great objects of insensible, 
inanimated nature, made to feel as if to take part in thy 
bufferings, and am I unmoved ? Did the very grave yawn 
at thy death and resurrection; and were the rocks rent 
while my tearless eyes thus behold thee ? O gracious 
God ! fulfil that promise by the Prophet, that I may look 
on him whom I have pierced, and mourn as one that 
mourneth for his only son, and be in bitterness as one 
that is in bitterness for his first-born. 


Jesus, knowing all things that should come 
upon him, went forth, and said unto them, 
Whom seek ye? They answered him, Jesus 
of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am 
he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, 
stood with them. As soon as he had said 
unto them, I am he, they went backward and 
fell to the ground .—John xviii. 4, 5, 6. 

What a glorious Scripture is this ! Ponder it well, my 
soul; for of all the miraclds of thy Jesus, there is not one 



APRIL G. 


105 


more sweet and satisfactory to contemplate. Yesterday 
thou wast looking at thy Redeemer under a heavy cloud. 
Look at him as he is here represented, for he is still, in 
this transaction, in the same garden of Gethsemane ; and 
behold how the Godhead shone forth with a glory sur¬ 
passing all description. Observe what a willing sacrifice 
was Jesus. He knew the hour was come ! for he had 
said so. He doth not wait to be taken, and by wicked 
hands to be crucified and slain; but he goeth forth to 
surrender himself. Yes ! Jesus did not go to the garden 
of Gethsemane for nothing: he knew Judas would be 
there : he knew the powers of darkness would be there; 
he knew how his whole soul would be in an agony; but 
there Jesus would go. He had said at the table to his 
disciples, “ Arise, let us go hence.” Precious, precious 
Jesus ! how endearing to my poor soul is this swe^t view 
of thy readiness and earnestness to become a sacrifice for 
the sins of thy people. Thou hadst this baptism, Lord, 
to be baptized with ; and how wast thou straitened until 
it was accomplished. There was a time, dear Lord, when 
the multitudes sought for thee to make thee a king, so 
convinced were they, for the moment, who thou wert; 
and then thou didst hide thyself from them. But now 
thine enemies come to make ihee a king with a crown of 
thorns, and to nail thy sacred body to the cross, thou 
didst hasten to meet them. Well might the Prophet say, 
thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people ! 
Look at this Scripture again, my soul. “ Whom seek 
ye?” said Jesus. Did they not know him ? It was a 
light night, most probably, for the moon was then at 
the full: beside, the seekers of Christ had lanterns and 
torches. How was it they did not know him ? Didst 
thou, for the moment, dearest Lord! do by them as 
thine angels at the gate of Lot by the Sodomites, so 
cause their eyes to be holden that they should not know 
thee? Was there somewhat of a miracle in this also ? 
But, my soul, behold the wonder of wonders that follow¬ 
ed : no sooner had Jesus said to their inquiry, “ Whom 
seek ye ?” “ I am he,” than they went backward and fell 
to the ground. Was there indeed some sudden over¬ 
powering emanation of the Godhead, breaking through 
the vail of Jesus’s flesh, which induced this effect ? Was 


106 


APRIL 7. 


it ever known, ever heard of, in any age or period of the 
world, of such an effect before ? Supposing all the 
monarchs of the earth, with the mightiest armies of 
men, could be assembled together, how should such an 
event be induced by the breath of their mouth ? Con¬ 
template this, my soul! again and again. Rejoice, my 
soul, in this view of thy Saviour; for never, surely, was 
a greater miracle of thy Redeemer’s wrought; and re¬ 
member how soon it took place after his agony. Never 
go to Gethsemane in meditation, without taking the re¬ 
collection of it with thee. Behold the Man! behold 
the God! Here was nothing exercised by Jesus ; no 
weapon, no threat, no denunciation, no appeal to the 
Father. Jesus only simply said, “ I am he,” and they 
fell to the earth. Precious Jesus! what a volume of in¬ 
struction doth it afford. If such was the effect in the 
day of thy flesh, how sure is that Scripture concerning 
the day of thy power, in which it is said, “ The Lord 
shall consume the wicked with the breath of his mouth, 
and destroy them with the brightness of his coming.” 
2 Thess. ii. 8. And if, my soul, there was such power 
in the word of thy Saviour, when he Only said to his 
enemies, “ I am he,” why shouldst thou not feel all the 
sweetness and gracious power of his love, when he saith, 
“ Fear not, I am he ; behold I am with thee : it is I, be 
not afraid.” Ponder, my soul, in this view also, the 
awful state of a soul hardened by sin. The enemies of 
Jesus, though they fell to the ground at his mere word, 
felt no change, no compunction, at the display of it. 
Judas also was with them. Yes! he fell also: but 
Satan had entered into him, and a reprobate mind 
marked him as the son of perdition. O precious 
Jesus ! how fully read to thy people, in every part of thy 
word, is the solemn truth, that grace maketh all the dif¬ 
ference between him that serveth God, and him that 
serveth him not. O, keep me, Lord, and I shall be well 
kept; for unto thee do I lift up my soul. 


He hath poured out his soul unto death. 

Isaiah liii. 12. 

My soul! from the garden to the cross, follow Jesus ! 



APRIL 7. 


107 


Behold him apprehended and hurried away, both to 
judgment and to death. He who struck to the ground 
the band who came to take him, might surely, by the 
same breath of his mouth, have struck them to hell, and 
prevented his being apprehended by them. But one of 
the sweetest and most blessed parts of Jesus’s redemption 
of his people, consisted in the freeness and willingness of 
his sacrifice. Yes! thou precious Lamb of God! no 
man (as thou thyself hadst before said) had power to take 
thy life from thee; but thou didst lay it down of thyself; 
thou hadst power to lay it down, and thou hadst power 
to take it again. Delightful consideration to thee, my 
soul! Now, my soul, let this day’s meditation be sa¬ 
cred to the view of thy Redeemer, pouring out his soul 
unto death. And to-morrow, if the Lord gives thee to 
see the morrow, let the solemn subject of thy study be 
the sufferings of Jesus in his body. Pause, then, my 
soul, and call up all the powers of thy mind to the con¬ 
templation of what the Scripture teacheth concerning 
thy Redeemer’s pouring out his soul unto death. Seek 
the teachings of the Holy Ghost in this solemn and mys¬ 
terious subject. The original curse pronounced on the 
fall which Jesus took upon himself, and came to do 
away, contained somewhat vastly great. For as the 
blessing promised to obedience, Do this and thou shalt 
live , certainly meant somewhat much greater than mere 
animal life,and implied sweet fellowship and communion 
with God; so the curse to disobedience, Dying thou shalt 
die, as plainly intimated much more than the mere re¬ 
turn of the body to the dust, out of which it was taken ; 
it meant what in Scripture (Rev. xx. 6) is called the 
second death, meaning hell and everlasting misery. 
Hence in the recovery of our lost and fallen nature from 
this awful state, when Jesus undertook the salvation of 
his people, he was to sustain all that was our due ; and, 
in the accomplishment of this, he not only died in his 
body, but he poured out his soul unto death. As the 
sinner’s Representative, and the sinner’s Surety, he bore 
the whole weight and pressure of divine justice due to 
sin ; according to what the Holy Ghost taught—“Indig¬ 
nation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every 
soul of man that doeth evil.” Rom. ii. 9. Not that the 


108 


APRIL 8. 


Redeemer needed in the accomplishment of this, to go 
down into hell to suffer the miseries of the damned; for 
when the avenging wrath of Go ( d came upon him, he en¬ 
dured it here. The wrath of God may be sustained in 
earth as well as hell; witness the evil spirit that is called 
the prince of the power of the air, Ephes. ii. 2: for 
wherever the apostate angels are, they still endure divine 
wrath. Hence, when the Lord Christ poured out his 
soul unto death by reason of the extremity of his soul- 
sufferings, and soul’s travail for his redeemed, he sus¬ 
tained all this as the sinner’s Surety, in becoming sin and 
a curse, to feel and suffer all that was the sinner’s due. 
Oh ! who shall say, what heart shall conceive the great¬ 
ness and extensiveness of thy sufferings, precious, pre¬ 
cious Lamb of God ? Oh ! who shall undertake fully to 
show the infinite suitableness of Jesus, to every poor 
humble, convinced sinner, in delivering him from the 
wrath to come ? Here, my soul, fix thine eyes : here let 
all thy powers be employed in the unceasing contem¬ 
plation, while beholding Jesus, thy Jesus, pouring out 
his soul unto death ; while numbered with the trans¬ 
gressors, and bearing the sin of many, and making in¬ 
tercession for the transgressors. 

He humbled himself, and became obedient 
unto death, even the death of the cross. 

Philipp . ii. 8. 

My soul! dost thou not feel, at every step towards 
Calvary, somewhat of the angel’s words when he cried, 
“ One wo is past, and behold there come two woes more 
hereafter?” Rev. ix. 12. Surely never was there a ma¬ 
nifestation of the holiness of Jehovah, nor the utter de¬ 
testation of God against sin, as was set forth in the 
crucifixion of Jesus. Would men, would angels, see what 
sin really is, Jet them go to the cross of Jesus. The 
casting rebellious angels out of heaven ; the curse pro¬ 
nounced upon the earth; the drowning the old world by 
water; the burning Sodom by fire ; nay, the millions of 
miseries among men, and the unquenchable fire of hell; 
though all these may make the souls of the awakened 
exclaim against sin, yet all these are slight and incon- 



APRIL 8. 


109 


siderable things, compared to the wrath of God poured 
out upon the person of God’s own Son, when he died 
the accursed death of the cross. My soul, take thy 
stand this day at the foot of the cross. Behold the 
Lamb of God ! There see divine justice more awfully 
displayed than would have been in the everlasting ruin of 
all creation. And oh ! may it be thy portion, my soul, 
while looking unto Jesus, to say as Paul did—“ I am 
crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live; yet not I, but 
Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the 
flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved 
me, and gave himself for me.” But, my soul, while 
thou lookest up to Jesus hanging on the painful tree, 
contemplate the sufferings of the Lord Jesus in his sacred 
body. The death of the cross was a violent death; for 
as there was no sin in Jesus, there could not have been 
those seeds of death, which, in all the race of Adam 
are found to bring forth fruit unto death. Precious 
thought this, even in the moment of beholding Jesus’s 
life taken by violence. Had Jesus not died by a violent 
death, he would have been no sacrifice ; for that which 
died of itself naturally, could not by the law have been 
offered to God. The death of Jesus was also a cursed 
death ; for it is written, “ Cursed is every one that 
hangeth on a tree.” Behold, my soul, thy Lord thus 
lifted up as a spectacle between heaven and earth, as if 
cursed and despised both of God and man. The death 
of Jesus was a painful death, in which many deaths 
were, as it were, contained in one. The nails driven 
through the most feeling parts of the hands and feet, and 
the body stretched forth on the transverse timber, in this 
manner the cross, with the Lord Jesus fastened upon it, 
was lifted up in the air, until the bottom fell into its 
socket, which suddenly shook the whole and every part 
of his sacred body ; and thus the whole weight hanging 
on his pierced, nailed hands, the wounds in both hands 
and feet, by degrees, widened as he hung, until at length 
he expired in tortures. Precious, precious Redeemer! 
was it thus thou didst offer thy soul an offering for sin ? 
Was there no method, in all the stores of Omnipotency, 
for satisfying divine justice, but by thy holy, harmless, 
undefiled body dying the violent, cursed, painful death of 
10 


110 


APRIL 9. 


the cross ? Oh ! by the crimson fountain of thy blood, 
which issuedfrom thy pierced side, enable me to sit down, 
day by day, until I find my whole nature crucified with 
thee in all its affections and lusts. Let there be some¬ 
what, dearest Lord, of an holy conformity between my 
Lord and me ; and if Jesus died for sin, may my soul die 
to sin ; that by mortifying the deeds of the body I may 
live ; and by carrying about with me always the dying 
of the Lord Jesus, the life also of Jesus may be made 
manifest in my mortal body. 


Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them, for 
they know not what they do .—Luke xxiii. 34. 

My soul! art thou still taking thy stand at the foot of 
the cross ? Art thou still looking up to Jesus ? If so, 
listen now to his voice. There were seven expressions 
of Jesus, which were his last words, which he uttered on 
the cross. The last words of dying friends are particu¬ 
larly regarded: how much more the last words of the 
best of all Friends, even the dying Friend of poor, lost, 
perishing sinners. Those which I have chosen for the 
portion of the day were the first; and they contain the 
strong cry of Jesus to his Father for forgiveness to his 
murderers. And what endears those expressions yet more 
to {he^ heart is, that they are not only the first upon the 
cross, but they are wholly, not for himself, but the peo¬ 
ple. During the whole painful process of suffering, when 
they scourged him, crowned him with thorns, smote 
him with their hands, and mocked him, we hear no 
voice of complaint. “ He was led as a lamb to the 
slaughter; and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so 
he opened not his mouth.” Precious, meek, Lamb of 
God! But now, when lifted up on the cross, Jesus 
broke silence and cried out, “Father, forgive them, for 
they know not what they do.” Pause, my soul ! look 
again at the cross. Was not Jesus now entered upon his 
high-priest’s office ? Was not the cross as the altar from 
whence the sacrifice was offered ? Was not Jesus him¬ 
self the Sacrifice. And was not Jesus the Sacr-ificer ? 
Might not the pale, the dying, whitened visage of Jesus, 
be compared to the white ephod of the high-priest; the 



APRIL 10. 


Ill 


streaming blood, flowing over his sacred body from the 
several wounds, as the incense of his censer; and the 
dying sweat of his holy frame, like the smoke ascending 
with the sweetest savor before God? As the arms of 
Jesus, when he thus prayed, were stretched forth on the 
cross, so the high-priest spread forth his hands, when 
burning the incense for sacrifice in pleading for the 
people. Hail, thou glorious High-Priest! in this the 
humblest moment, and the most powerful of thine in¬ 
tercession. Surely every wound of thine, every look, 
every feature, every groan, pleaded with open mouth 
this gracious intercession for forgiveness of sinners. 
Lord ! was I not included in the prayer? Was not the 
eye of Jesus upon me in the moment of this all-prevailing 
advocacy ? Oh ! ye, of every description and character, 
that still sit unconcerned and unmoved at this cry of the 
Son of God, is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by ? 
Think, my poor unawakened brother, how justly that 
voice might have been heard for all the enemies of Jesus 
—“ Depart from me, ye cursed :” when the tender lan¬ 
guage of Jesus was, “ Father, forgive them, for they 
know not what they do.” And think, moreover, that the 
same gracious voice is still heard in heaven, and of the 
same blessed force and efficacy as ever; for while our 
sins are calling for judgment, the blood of Jesus calls 
louder for mercy. Dear Lord ! let this first cry of thine 
upon the cross, be the first and last of all my thoughts, 
under every exercise and temptation of sin and Satan— 
“ Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” 


When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and 
the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he 
saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son ! 
Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy 
mother !—John xix. 26, 27. 

This was the second among the dying words of the 
Lord Jesus; and, no doubt, of high importance in their 
full sense and meaning: not simply to recommend Mary 
to the care of the beloved apostle John, but probably of 
greater moment in reference to the church of Jesus at 



12 


APRIL 11. 


large. My soul! is it not very certain that the Lord 
Jesus knew all the events which would take place in all 
generations of his people ? And as such, did not Jesus 
perfectly well know also that the time would come when 
divine honours would be offered to Mary ? These points 
cannot be disputed. Well, then, is it not worthy the 
closest observation, that Jesus, both in this place and 
upon all other occasions, when speaking of Mary, called 
her woman ? Why so ? If as Jesus knew that there 
would be some who would pray to her, and call her 
Mother of God, by which name the Holy Ghost never 
distinguished her, neither the Lord Jesus himself; could 
there have been a more decided method adopted than 
this to discountenance such idolatry, than when Jesus, 
in his dying moments, called Mary only woman ? Be¬ 
sides, was it not on another account, that as Jesus was 
to be the seed of the woman which was promised to 
bruise the serpent’s head, such a dying testimony might 
serve instead of a thousand witnesses, in proof of the 
confirmation of the fact: and Mary’s song might be the 
song of thousands—“ My soul doth magnify the Lord, 
and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour .” But 
when we have thus attended to the second cry of Christ 
upon the cross, in reference to those sweet points, do 
thou, my soul, remember also how tenderly those expres¬ 
sions of thy Lord recommend all the endearing affections 
of love and regard through all the members of Christ’s 
mystical body. To behold our mother, or to behold our 
sons, are only different expressions to intimate that all 
true believers in Jesus are members of one another, and 
of his body, his flesh, and his bones. And as it was by 
our Lord himself in this life, so is it with all his redeemed 
both in this life and in that which is to come : they who 
do the will of his Father, which is in heaven, the same are 
Christ’s brethren, and sisters, and mother. 


And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto 
thee, To-day shalt thou be with me in paradise. 

Luke xxiii. 43. 

My soul! hear the gracious words of thy Jesus. This 
was the third cry of thy Redeemer on the cross. And 



APRIL II. 


113 


oh ! how fall of grace, rich, free, unmerited, unexpected, 
unlooked-for grace, to a poor, lost, perishing sinner, even 
in the very moment of death. Let the self-righteous 
Pharisee behold this example of redeeming love and 
wonder, and be confounded. Surely no one will venture 
to suppose that this man’s good works were any recom¬ 
mendation, when the poor wretch was dying under the 
hands of justice. What was it then that saved him but 
the complete salvation of Jesus ? The Son of God was 
offering his soul on the cross a sacrifice for sin, and, 
being between two notorious sinners, gave a rich display 
of the sovereignty of his grace and his love to poor sin¬ 
ners ; and in confirmation, snatched this one as a brand 
from the burning—took him from the very jaws of hell, 
and that very day led him in triumph to heaven, thereby 
manifesting to every poor sinne^, in whose heart he puts 
the cry for mercy, that that cry shall never be put forth 
in vain. And mark, my soul, how powerful the grace of 
the Lord Jesus wrought upon this man. He and his 
companion both knew that before night they would both 
be in eternity. The thought affected neither : they 
joined the rabble in insulting Jesus. Save thyself and us, 
was the language of the heart of both, until the grace of 
Jesus wrought on this man’s mind, and changed the re- 
viler into an humble suitor. What could there be in 
Jesus thus to affect him ? Jesus hung upon the cross 
like a poor Jew. Jesus had been always poor, and never 
more so than now. And yet, in the midst of all these 
surrounding circumstances, such a ray of light broke in 
upon this^ man’s mind, that he saw Jesus in all his glory 
and power, acknowledged him for a King, when all the 
disciples had forsook him and fled, and prayed to be re¬ 
membered by him when he came into his kingdom. 
Precious Lamb of God ! bestow upon me such a portion 
of thy grace as, under all the unpromising .circumstances 
around, may call forth the like conviction of thy power 
and my need. And oh ! that this pattern of mercy might 
be reviewed by thousands of poor, perishing, dying sin¬ 
ners. Methinks I would have it proclaimed through all 
the public places of resort, through all the haunts of li¬ 
centiousness, among the numberless scenes of hardened 
sinners who fear that they have sinned beyond the pos- 
10 * 


114 


APRIL 12. 


sibility of forgiveness. Oh! look at this example of 
Jesus’s love, ye that are going down to the grave full 
of sin and despair; behold the thief, behold the Sa¬ 
viour ! And oh! for a cry of grace like that of the dying 
malefactor—“ Lord, remember me when thou comest 
into thy kingdom;” and Jesus’s gracious answer— 
«* To-day shalt thou be with me in paradise.” 

And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with 
a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? 
that is to say, My God, my God, why hast 
thou forsaken me ?— Matt, xxvii. 46. 

Mark, my soul! Jesus had hung upon the cross now 
for six hours. Think what agonies he sustained both in 
soul and body. The fury of hell had broke out upon 
him, and in the cruelties of the men around him, exer¬ 
cised upon his sacred Person, manifested how extensive 
that fury was. But had this been all, had God the 
Father smiled upon him, had the cup of trembling been 
taken away, some alleviation would have taken place in 
Jesus’s sufferings; but so far was this from being the 
case, that the heaviest load of the sorrow his holy soul 
sustained, was the wrath of the Father due to sin as the 
sinner’s Surety. Angels, no doubt, looked on. All 
heaven stood amazed. And, at length, overpowered with 
the fulness of sorrow and anguish of soul, the dying 
Lamb cried out, “ My God, my God, why hast thou for¬ 
saken me?” Pause, my soul, while thou hearest in the 
ear of faith, still vibrating in the air, the dolorous cry, 
and conceive, if it be possible, what the holy, harmless, 
undefiled Jesus felt, when such expressions of exquisite 
terror and distress were forced from his dying lips. 
What forsaking was this of Jesus by God his Father ? 
Not the dissolving of the union between them: not the 
withdrawing the arm of his strength ; for Jesus still calls 
him, “Eli, Eli,” that is, My strong One : not that he 
left him to himself; neither that his love for Jesus was 
lessened ; but it was the withdrawing or withholding 
those sweet manifestations whereby he had sustained the 
human nature of Jesus through the whole of his incar¬ 
nation. It was beholding Jesus in this solemn season as 



APRIL 13. 


115 


the sinner’s Surety; and, as such, it was a punishing 
desertion, implying that, as Jesus stood, or rather hung 
with all the burden of our sins, he was so deserted for 
that time as we, out of Jesus, deserve to be forsaken 
for ever. The cry of Jesus, the shriek of his precious 
soul, under this desertion, represented the everlasting 
shrieks of them that are cast out of God’s gracious pre¬ 
sence to all eternity. Here pause again, my soul. And 
wouldst thou have howled this endless, pitiable cry for 
ever, had not Jesus uttered it for thee once ? And art 
thou, by virtue of it, saved from this wrath to come ? 
Hath Jesus both borne thy sins, carried thy sorrows, 
and been forsaken of his Father, that thou mightest 
enjoy his presence and favour for ever ? My soul, what 
wilt thou render to the Lord for all his benefits ? Wilt 
thou not take the cup of salvation, and call upon the 
name of the Lord, now thy Jesus hath for thee taken 
the cup of trembling, and drank all the dregs' of it ? 
Precious, precious Redeemer! may I never,never lose 
sight of thee in this part of thy sufferings also ; and es¬ 
pecially eye thee still more when my soul is under the 
hidings of God’s countenance. Let me recollect, dearest 
Lord ! that thou hast been forsaken before thy people, 
and for thy people ; and here, as in all other instances, 
thou hast the pre-eminence, so as to sanctify even our 
momentary desertions to our good and to thy glory. Yes, 
precious Lord ! such are the blessed effects of thy deser¬ 
tion, that hence my soul learns, my God still supports, 
though my God may withhold his comforts. Jesus was 
forsaken for a season, that my soul might not be forsaken 
for ever. And grant me, dearest Lord! from thy bright 
example, to cast myself wholly upon thee, as thou didst 
upon thy Father, when all sensible comforts fail, con¬ 
vinced that thou art the strength of my heart and my 
portion for ever! 

After this, Jesus knowing tnat all things were 
now accomplished, that the Scriptures might be 
fulfilled, saith, I*thirst. —John xix. 28. 

After this , that is, I conceive, (though I do not pre¬ 
sume to mark the very order in which the Lord Jesus 



116 


APRIL 13. 


uttered his loud cries upon the cross,) after his complaint 
of desertion : for whether this was the fourth or the fifth 
of the seven last words of the Redeemer, I dare not de¬ 
termine ; yet the words themselves were highly import¬ 
ant, and significant of great things, in reference to 
Jesus and his people. Jesus thus cried, that the Scrip¬ 
tures might be fulfilled, it is said ; for it had been pro¬ 
phesied of him, thatgall was given him to eat—and, when 
thirsty, vinegar to drink. Psalm lxix. 21. Andthe soldiers, 
unconscious what they did of fulfilling this very pro¬ 
phecy, gave him sponge dipped in vinegar. But,my soul, 
was it the thirst of the body thy Jesus complained of ? I 
think not. He had before declared, at his last supper, 
that he would drink no more of the fruit of the vine, 
until the day he drank it new in the kingdom of his 
Father. What could be then the thirst of Jesus, but 
the thirst of his soul, for the accomplishment of redemp¬ 
tion for his people, and the accomplishment of redemp¬ 
tion in his people. He thirsted with a holy vehement 
thirst for the everlasting salvation of his ransomed, and 
seemed to anticipate the hour, by this expression, when 
he should see the travail of his soul, and be satisfied. 
But did not Jesus also, in this hour, as bearing the curse 
and wrath of God for sin, thirst in soul with that kind of 
thirst which, in hell, those who bear the everlasting tor¬ 
ments of condemnation feel, when theyare underanever- 
lasting thirst which admits of no relief? That representa¬ 
tion the Lord Jesus gives of this state,in theparableof the 
rich man’sthirst,servesto afford alivelybutalarmingview 
of such superlative misery. Oh! that those who now add 
drunkenness to thirst would seriously lay this to heart. 
Did God suffer his dear Son, to whom sin was but trans¬ 
ferred, and not committed by him—did he suffer him to 
cry out under this thirst; and what may we suppose will 
be the everlasting cry of such as not only merit his wrath 
for sin, but merityet more his everlasting wrath for refus¬ 
ing redemption by Jesus, who thirsted on the cross to 
redeem sinners from endless thirsting in despair and mis¬ 
ery ? My soul! did Jesus thirst for thee? Were his dying 
lips parched, and his soul made deeply athirst, for thy sal¬ 
vation ? And shall not this thirst of thy Redeemer kindle 
a holy thirst in thee for him, and his love and his great 


APRIL 14. 


117 


salvation ! Wilt thou not now, this morning, anew, look 
up by faith to the cross, and to the throne, and catch 
the flame of love from his holy, longing, languishing 
eyes, until all thy powers go forth in vehement desires 
like him of old, crying out—“ As the hart thirsteth for the 
water-brooks, so longeth my soul after thee, O God. 
Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth; for thy 
love is. better than wine.” 


When Jesus therefore had received the vine¬ 
gar, he said, It is finished .—John xix. 30. 

Perhaps these words formed the sixth cry of the Lord 
Jesus on the cross. The glorious close of all his suffer¬ 
ings was now arrived; and full of these high ideas 
which occupied his holy mind, he cried out, It is finished. 
What is finished ? Redemption work is finished. All 
the long series of prophecies, visions, types, and the 
shadows of good things to come, which pointed to Jesus, 
and redemption by him, were now finished in their ac¬ 
complishment. The law was finished in its condemning 
power; and the gospel commenced its saving influence. 
Jesus, by that one sacrifice now offered, had for ever 
perfected them that are sanctified. The separation be¬ 
tween Jew and Gentile was now finished and done away 
for ever. Jesus had now gathered together, in one, all 
the children of God which were scattered abroad. The 
iron reign of sin and Satan, of death and hell, were now 
broken in pieces by this Stone cut out of the mountain 
without hands ; and life and immortality, pardon, mercy, 
and peace, were brought to light, and secured to the 
faithful, by this finished redemption of the Lord Jesus 
Christ! The peace, the love, the favour of God the 
Father, was now obtained, and that spiritual kingdom of 
the Lord Jesus, which shall have no end, was from this 
moment set up in the hearts and minds of his people. 
The sure descent of the Holy Ghost was now confirmed; 
and the Lord Jesus already, by anticipation, beheld his 
Israel of old, and his Gentile Church, as well as Ethiopia 
and the multitude of the isles, stretching forth their 
hands unto God. Full of these and the like glorious 
prospects the mind of Jesus was filled; and having re- 



118 


APRIL 15. 


ceived the vinegar, as the last prophecy remaining then 
to be completed, he cried out, “ It is finished.” My soul! 
never let these precious, precious words of Jesus depart 
from thy mind. Do by them as Moses commanded Israel 
concerning the words he gave them; let them be in thy 
heart and in thy soul; bind them as a sign upon thine 
hand, and let them be as frontlets between thine eyes. 
Tell thy God and Father what thy Jesus hath told thee— 
‘ It is finished.” He hath finished redemption for thee; 
and he will finish redemption in thee. He hath destroy¬ 
ed death, both satisfied and glorified the law, taken 
away the curse, made full restitution for sin, brought in 
an everlasting righteousness, and opened the glorious 
mansions of the blessed as the home and rest of all his 
people. O my soul, let these dying words of thy Jesus 
be made by thee as answer to all thy prayers, and begin 
that song to the Lamb, which, ere long, thou wilt fully 
and loudly sing among the church above—Worthy is the 
Lamb that was slain; for thou wast slain, and hast re¬ 
deemed us to God by thy blood. 


And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, 
he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my 
spirit; and having thus said, he gave up the 
ghost .—Luke xxiii. 46. 

My soul! ponder well these last of the last seven 
words of thy God and Saviour which he uttered on the 
cross ; for surely they are most sweet and precious, and 
highly interesting, both on thy Saviour’s account and 
thine own. And first remark the manner in which the 
Lord Jesus thus breathed out his soul: not like a man 
spent and exhausted, after hanging so many hours on the 
cross, faint with loss of blood, and such agonies of soul 
as never one before endured; but it was with a loud 
voice, therefore proving what he had before declared— 
“ No man taketh my life from me; I have power to lay 
it down, and I have power to take it again.” Precious 
Jesus! how sweet this assurance to thy people. But 
wherefore cry with a loud voice ? A whisper, nay, a 
thought of the soul only, if with an eye of communiea- 



APRIL 15. 


119 


tion to God the Father, would have been sufficient, if 
this had been all that was intended. Wherefore, then, 
did Jesus cry with a loud voice ? Was it not that all in 
heaven, and all in hell, might hear ? Did not angels 
shout at the cry ? Did not the spirits of just men made 
perfect among the faithful gone to glory, in Jesus’s name, 
hear, and sing aloud ? Did not all hell tremble when 
Jesusthuscriedaloud,conscious thatthekeysof the grave, 
and death, and hell, were now put into his Almighty 
hand ? O precious, precious Jesus! was this among 
thy gracious designs for which, when thou wert retiring 
from the bloody field of battle, as a conqueror, thy loud 
voice shouted victory ? And was there not another sweet 
and gracious design in this loud cry, O thou blessed 
Jesus ! Didst thou not intend thereby that poor sinners, 
unto the ends of the earth, might, by faith, hear and 
believe to the salvation of their souls ? Didst thou not, 
dearest Lord! when bowing thy sacred head, as if to take 
a parting look of the disciple and the Marys, at the foot 
of the Cross, and beholding them as the representatives 
of all the members of thy mystical body, then cry with 
a loud voice,that all with them mightbehold thy triumphs 
and rejoice in thee their glorious Head ? Yes, Lamb of 
God ! we adore thee in this glorious act; for we do ac¬ 
cept it as it really is, the act of our own glorious Head. 
In this solemn committing of thy Spirit to the Father, 
we consider our spirits also as committed with thee and 
by thee. (My soul! mark this down carefully in the 
inmost tablet of thine heart.) In all this, blessed Jesus! 
thou wert, and art our Head. Thou didst, to all intents 
and purposes, take every individual believer of thine 
as a part of thyself, and by this act didst commit, with 
thyself, the whole into thy Father’s hands, to be kept 
until the hour of their dropping their bodies, then to be 
united to .thee for ever. O precious Jesus! O pre¬ 
cious mercy of our Jesus, how safe, how eternally safe 
and secure are all thy redeemed ! Well might thine 
Apostle say, “ No man liveth to himself, and no man 
dieth to himself; for in Jesus his people ever live, and 
in Jesus they securely die.” Henceforth, dear Lord! 
let me know myself to be already committed with thee, 
and by thee, into the hands of my God and Father in 


120 


APRIL 16. 


Jesus,and when the hour cometh that the casket, in which 
that precious jewel my soul now dwells,is opened for the 
soul to take her departure, oh then for faith, in lively, 
active, earnest faith, to follow the example, and to adopt 
the very language of my God and Saviour; and to cry 
out—Lord Jesus, into thy hands I commend my spirit; 
for thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, thou God of truth ! 


There laid they Jesus .—John xix. 42. 

My soul! it is usual for the relations and friends of 
those that are deceased to attend the funeral. Art thou 
a friend, a relation, of Jesus ? Oh ! yes ; I trust thou 
art. He was, and is, the dearest of all friends, the 
nearest of all relations. He is at once all and every 
one—the Father, the Husband, the brother. The invi¬ 
tation is therefore sent to thee, personally to thee. Every 
voice of affection calls thee to the tomb of Jesus, saying, 
“ Come, see the place where the Lord lay.” And if, like 
Mary Magdalene, from more abundant love, thou art 
asking, “ Where have they laid him ?”—the answer imme¬ 
diately is returned, Come and see. Yes, thou dear Re¬ 
deemer ! by that faith thou hast graciously given me, I 
will come and see. Let my faith take wing, and light 
down in Joseph of Arimathea’s garden, and behold the 
place where the Lord lay^ Was this the memorable 
spot ? Did Jesus lay here ? Did he here make (accord¬ 
ing to the ancient prophecy foretold of him) his grave 
with the wicked and with the rich, in his death, because 
he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his 
mouth ? Here let me look ; here let my soul wander 
in contemplation ! Oh ! what a marvellous sight to be¬ 
hold, Jesus thus lain in the grave ! Surely we may cry 
out, as the church did in the view, “ My Beloved is 
white and ruddy.” Never did death triumph so before. 
Never did the grave receive and hold such a prisoner. 
But, my soul, behold also, in the view, how Jesus tri¬ 
umphed even in death. It was through death he de 
stroyed him that had the power of death—that is, the 
devil, that he might deliver them who, through fear of 
death, are all their lifetime subject to bondage. And 
what saith Jesus to my soul from the grave ? Fear not, 



APRIL 17. 


121 


I have the keys of death and the grave ; fear not to go 
down to the Egypt of the grave, I will go with thee, 
and will surely bring thee up again from thence. And 
observe, my soul, as the grave could not detain thy Lord, 
thine Head, a prisoner; so neither can the grave, beyond 
the appointed time, detain any of his members. And as 
the union between the Godhead and the manhood in 
Jesus was not broken off by death, so neither can the 
union between Jesus and his people be interrupted by 
death. The covenant of redemption, the union of Jesus 
with his people, the love of God in Christ to the souls 
and bodies of his redeemed, all these rot not in the grave ; 
nay, where sin is taken out, the very enmity of the grave 
is slain; and though it acts as a devourer of our corrupt 
bodies, yet it acts as a preserver also of the refined part, 
that the dust and ashes of his saints Jesus may visit, and 
manifest his care over from day to day. Precious Lord ! 
here then, as in every thing, thou hast the pre-eminence. 
Thou hast gone before : thou hast sweetly perfumed the 
grave by having lain there. And where should the dying 
members be but where their living Head hath been be¬ 
fore ? Hence then, my soul, take comfort and fear not, 
when thy partner the body is called upon to go down to 
the grave. When the soul flies to Jesus in heaven, the 
body will sweetly rest in Jesus till summoned from the 
grave. Thy God, thy Jesus, hath the appointment for 
thy departure ; both the place where, the time when, and 
the manner how, are all with him. He hath the keys 
both to open the door of death, and to open the king¬ 
dom of heaven. Leave all then with him. Frequently, 
by faith, visit his sepulchre, and behold where they laid 
him. And in the triumphs of thy Jesus, as thine head, 
already take part, as a member of his body, crying out 
with the Apostle, “ O death, where is thy sting ; O grave, 
where is thy victory ? God be praised who giveth us the 
victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 


The Lord is risen indeed .—Luke xxiv. 34. 

Let thy meditations, my soul, this morning be sweetly 
exercised upon thy risen and exalted Saviour. For if thy 



122 


APRIL 17- 


Lord be indeed risen, then will it undeniably follow, 
that as he died for our sins, so he arose for our justifica¬ 
tion, and is thereby become the first fruits of them that 
sleep. Beg of God the Holy Ghost to lead thee into the 
devout contemplation and enjoyment of this soul-reviving 
subject. Trace the testimonies of this wonderful event, 
until, from being overpowered in the vast assemblage of 
witnesses, thou art prompted to cry out in the samp lan¬ 
guage, “ The Lord is risen indeed.” And surely never 
was there any one fact so fully, so clearly, and so cir¬ 
cumstantially confirmed. It hath the united testimony 
of heaven and earth ; of angels and men ; of the living 
and the dead ; of friends and foes ; and God himself con¬ 
firming it in the midst of his people, by sending down 
the Holy Ghost, agreeably to the promise of Jesus at the 
day of Pentecost. Review these things in order. First 
heaven gave in its evidence in those supernatural signs, 
which issued in the morning of Jesus’s resurrection ; for 
we are told that an angel descended from heaven, and 
rolled back the stone from the door of Jesus’s sepulchre, 
and sat upon it. And, secondly , e^rth gave her testimony 
also to the same, by the convulsions sustained at his ap¬ 
proach—there was a great earthquake. And then again, 
as angels came to inform the pious women who waited 
to embalm the sacred body of Christ, that Jesus was 
risen ; so the testimony of multitudes among men gave 
equal attestation to this glorious truth. For beside the 
many separate and distinct appearances Jesus made to 
numbers, he appeared to above five hundred brethren at 
once, by way of confirming the undoubted fact. The 
living, who ate and drank with him after he arose from 
the dead, surely could not be mistaken. And the dead 
which arose from their graves, as if to celebrate the 
glories of his resurrection, in which they took part, came 
forth when the sepulchres yawned at the triumph of 
Jesus, and went into the holy city and appeared unto 
many. And not only the friends of Jesus, but the foes 
of Jesus, became undesignedly the witnesses of this great 
truth ; for, by attributing his resurrection to the disciples’ 
stealing away his body, they positively prove that the 
body of Christ remained not in the sepulchre. And that 
the poor timid disciples, whose meetings were all in se- 


APRIL 18. 


123 


cret for fear of the Jews, should project such a scheme 
as to take away the body, which the Roman soldiers 
were purposely placed to secure, is not to be equalled in 
folly in the very idea, unless by that other part of the 
childish story, that the body was stolen while the guard 
slept: and so the testimony, it should seem, to this tale, 
is the testimony of men sleeping ! Here then, my soul, 
in devout contemplation, take thy stand at the door of 
the sepulchre of thy Jesus, and ponder over such a mul¬ 
titude of witnesses who all cry out, with one voice, as the 
angels did to the astonished women, “ He is not here ; 
for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where 
the Lord lay.” And O thou dear Redeemer! do thou, 
while my soul is pondering these things, do thou draw 
nigh, as thou didst to the disciples on the morning of thy 
resurrection, and sweetly commune with me of all these 
blessed truths concerning thyself; lead me, by faith, 
through all the precious subjects, from the sepulchre to 
thine house of prayer, to the ordinance and thy table, 
from thy cross to thy crown ; and cause my whole heart 
to burn within me, while thou art talking to me by the 
way, and while thou art opening to me the Scriptures. 
Then shall I truly rejoice that my Lord is indeed risen 
from the dead, and my soul is risen with him, from dead 
works, to serve thee, the living and true God. 


And declared to be the .Son of God with 
power ; according to the Spirit of holiness, by 
the resurrection from the dead .—Romans i. 4. 

Do not, my soul, hastily pass away from this most 
precious subject of thy Lord’s resurrection. It is an in¬ 
exhaustible theme, and will be among thy felicities in 
eternity. Yesterday thou didst but barely consider the 
fact. Let this day occupy thy thoughts on another sweet 
portion of it, in beholding how Jesus effected it by his 
own power and Godhead. He had said before, that he 
had power to lay down his life, and power to take it 
again. And he had told the Jews to destroy the temple, 
by which he meant the temple of his body, and he 



124 


APRIL 18. 


would raise it again in three days. He had proclaimed 
himself to be the resurrection and life: and here he 
proved it, when he was declared to be the Son of God 
with power; according to the Spirit of holiness, by his 
resurrection from the dead. Now, then, pause over this 
glorious view of Him who was thus proved to be one 
with the Father, and who, at the same time, was one 
in thy nature, bone of thy bone, and flesh of thy flesh. 
Beautiful and comprehensive is the expression: declared 
to be the Son of God! for who hut God could accom¬ 
plish such an event ? And by the Spirit of holiness he 
was equally declared to be not liable to corruption ; for 
as God’s Holy One, it was impossible that his flesh should 
see corruption. Psalm xvi. 10. And the Holy Ghost, 
again, by Peter the Apostle, explains it, when he saith, 
“ Christ was put to death in the flesh, hut quickened by 
the Spirit.” 1 Pet. iii. 18. The flesh here means his 
human nature ; and the quickening by the Spirit (being 
what is called the antithesis, that is, the opposite to flesh) 
means his own Spirit, his own power and Godhead; 
similar to what is said in the Hebrews concerning the of¬ 
fering of Jesus, that through the Eternal Spirit he of¬ 
fered himself , Heb. ix. 14—meaning, that his Godhead 
gave dignity and value to the offering of his body for the 
sins of his people. Ponder this blessed truth, my soul; 
for it is most blessed, and of much greater importance 
than, at the first view of the words, it may strike you. 
Behold in it, that it was the Godhead of Jesus by which 
thy Jesus triumphed over death and the grave. The 
Father’s hand was in it most certain, as it was in all the 
other acts of redemption ; for the Holy Ghost taught 
the church, by Paul, that God had raised up the Lord. 

1 Cor. vi. 14. And manifested by this, saith the Holy 
Ghost, that he was the God of peace, in bringing again 
from the dead the Lord Jesus Christ. Heb. xiii. 20. 
And the Holy Ghost had his almighty hand in the same; 
for it is the Spirit that quickeneth ; and hence Christ is 
said to have been justified in the Spirit. 1 Tim. iii. 16. 
But while we are taught by these Scriptures, and others 
to the same purport, to behold both the Father and the 
Holy Ghost acting in the resurrection of Jesus—by this, 
and others of the same kind, we are taught to view the 


APRIL 19. 


125 


Godhead in Christ as the cause of his resurrection. For 
if Jesus had been raised by the power of the Father and 
the Holy Ghost only, how would he have been declared 
to be the Son of God by his resurrection ? For in this 
case, nothing more would have been manifested in his 
resurrection than in the resurrection of others ; for it is 
by the power of God that the dead are to be raised. 
Hence, my soul, behold the vast importance of this 
great point in the resurrection of thy Lord: and never 
lose sight of this blessed truth, that thy Jesus, who is thy 
resurrection and thy life, arose himself by this self-quick¬ 
ening principle. Behold, in this point of view, what a 
glorious truth is the resurrection of Jesus. And what a 
lovely promise did the Lord, by the Prophet, give to all 
the people of God concerning this, ages before this 
glorious event took place—“ Thy dead men shall live, to¬ 
gether with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and 
sing, ye that dwell in dust; for thy dew is as the dew 
of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.” Isaiah 
xxvi. 19. 


Who was delivered for our offences, and 
raised again for our justification. 

Romans iv. 25. 

My soul, thou must not yet dismiss—no, nor ever 
dismiss, the sweet and precious subject of thy Lord’s re¬ 
surrection. One part of it thou hast not yet scarce 
glanced at! and yet it is such a one as thine everlasting 
safety, and thy justification before God, depends upon. 
“ For,” as the Holy Ghost hath said, by the mouth of his 
servant the Apostle, “ if Christ be not risen, then are 
believers yet in their sins.” 1 Cor. xv. IT. See to it 
then, my soul, that what this sweet Scripture of the 
morning saith be true, that Jesus was delivered for thine 
offences, and was raised again for thy justification. While 
Jesus was on the cross, and when Jesus was taken down 
and laid in the grave, the payment and the ransom for 
sin was then discharging. Jesus was then truly delivered 
for our offences. And when he arose from the dead; 
then the poor sinner, for whom he was delivered, and 
IF 



126 


APRIL 19. 


for whom he died, was truly justified before God ; for 
thereby proof was made that the debt was paid, the re¬ 
ceipt given, and God, in confirmation of it, styled him¬ 
self by a new name, even the God of Peace, in bring¬ 
ing again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, as the 
great Shepherd of his sheep, through the blood of the 
everlasting covenant. Hence the resurrection of Jesus 
was like going into the presence of God to cancel the 
bond, the hand-writing of ordinances, that was against 
us. It was as if Jesus gave this testimony in his glorious 
resurrection, that both sin and death had now lost their 
retaining power: the dominion of both were for ever 
done away, and all true believers in Christ might join the 
Apostle’s song—“ Who shall lay any thing to the charge 
of God’s elect ? It is God that justifieth; who is he that 
condemneth ? It is Christ that died—yea, rather, that 
is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who 
also maketh intercession for us.” My soul, be sure to 
keep this in constant view, when, at any time, thou art 
meditating on the death and resurrection of Jesus ; and 
let both be thy daily meditation. Think how truly 
blessed, how truly happy, how present, and everlastingly 
secure, must those souls be, who are interested in the 
death and in the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. By the 
one he hath purchased their pardon, and by the other he 
hath justified their persons ; so that, when law and jus¬ 
tice present their charge against them, this is the unan¬ 
swerable plea—Jesus was delivered for our offences, and 
raised again for our justification. O dearest Lord ! 
grant me daily and hourly to be bringing into all my spi¬ 
ritual enjoyments the sweet sense and consciousness of 
being thus interested, justified, and secured. Give me 
a present right and title, that I may live upon it; and 
by and by, when thou shalt call me home, then, O Lord, 
present me finally and fully, once for all, as made comely 
in thy comeliness, clothed in thy righteousness, and fully 
prepared, both in soul and body, for everlasting happiness 
and glory among them that are sanctified. 



AFRIL 20. 


127 


Now is Christ risen from the dead, and be¬ 
come the first fruits of them that slept. 

1 Cor. xv. 20. 

One view more, my soul, while thou art meditating 1 
upon this delightful subject of thy Redeemer’s triumph 
over death and the grave, and now look at Jesus’s resur¬ 
rection as a sure pledge and confirmation of thine own. 
Did Jesus’s holy body arise ? Then so shall thine, sinful 
and polluted as it now is, but then made a glorified body 
by virtue of thy union with him. For so saith the Holy 
Ghost, by his servant the Apostle, “ He shall change our 
vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious 
body. For if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from 
the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from 
the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies, by his 
Spirit that dwelleth in you.” Phil. iii. 21; Rom. viii. 11. 
Pause then, my soul, and rejoice in this glorious and 
transporting doctrine. As sure as Jesus arose, so sure 
shall all his people: for Jesus arose as the first fruits. 
Jesus arose not as a private person, but as the public Head. 
Never call to mind the resurrection of Jesus, but be sure 
to connect always with it this blessed view of the subject 
—every redeemed believer is part of Christ’s body. And 
as we are by nature part of the first Adam, and die, from 
our union and connection, and being of the same nature 
with him ; so, by grace being part of Christ’s mystical 
body, who is called in Scripture, particularly on this ac¬ 
count, the second Adam, his people are interested in all 
that concerns him, and because he liveth, they must live 
also. Hence he is called the first fruits, the first born 
from the dead. And as all the after fruits of the harvest 
follow the first fruits; so the saints, born again in God, 
follow the first born from the dead to glory. Oh ! heart- 
reviving subject! The eyes, that now read these lines, 
and the hand that now writes them, if a part of Christ’s 
mystical body by regeneration, must assuredly be a part 
in resurrection. In the eye of the law they are one. 
Jesus is the head of his body the church: and how in¬ 
complete in glory would be that glorious head without 
the whole and every individual member of his fair one, 
his spouse, which he hath betrothed to himself for ever. 


128 


APRIL 21. 


Shout then, my soul! and shout aloud, and say with 
Job—“Though after my skin worms destroy this body, 
yet in my flesh shall I see God.” My flesh shall moulder 
indeed in the dust, and see corruption. And so would I 
have it to be. Vile and polluted as it now is, and fighting 
as it now doth against my soul’s desires and affections, 
methinks I would not, if it were possible, take it with 
me to heaven as it now is. But when Jesus shall change 
this vile body, and have fashioned it like unto his glorious 
body, then it will be without spot or wrinkle, or any such 
thing ; and then soul and body, united together in love, 
and both united to the Lord, will form one united object 
to praise and glorify God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost 
to all eternity ! My soul, dwell upon these things ; give 
thyself wholly to them : and as thou belie vest that Jesus 
died and rose again, so equally believe also, that all they 
that sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this the 
Apostle had in commission from the Lord to tell all true 
believers, that when Jesus shall descend from heaven, 
with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with 
the trump of God, the dead in Christ shall arise; and 
then they which remain unto the coming of the Lord 
shall be caught up together with them to meet the Lord 
in the air, and so shall they ever be with the Lord. 
Oh for grace to comfort one another with these words. 

The glory which thou gavest me I have given 
them, that they may he one, even as we are one. 

John xvii. 22. 

Those are sweet views of Jesus which point to our one¬ 
ness and union with him, by which alone we derive an 
interest in him, and are made partakers both in his grace 
and glory. By virtue of this it is, that the glory the 
Father gave Jesus, as Mediator, all his people are inter¬ 
ested in, and truly enjoy. For though like the heir of a 
kingdom, when an infant, the babe is unconscious of his 
dignity, yet is not the less entitled to his high birth and 
rank; so the seed of Jesus, while in this childhood of 
existence, though they do not live up to their high privi¬ 
leges through the weakness of their faith, yet their claim 
in Jesus is not the less. Jesus hath given them the glory 



APRIL 21. 


129 


of being brought within the covenant; the glory of re¬ 
demption; the glory of the Holy Ghost’s gifts and in¬ 
fluences ; and, in short, all the glory which a state of 
grace implies, and which is the earnest of the future 
fulness of glory. And, my soul! dost thou ever pause 
over this account of present glory, as if thou didst not 
truly know thine interest and the enjoyment of it ? Look 
at it only under these two considerations, and then bow 
down under a sense of it in the dust before God. In the 
first, put forth thy utmost faculties to calculate that glory 
which, if thou art one of Jesus’s redeemed people, thou 
now truly hast in having union with Christ! Who shall 
undertake to describe that glory imparted to a poor worm 
of the earth, who is brought jnto union with God’s dear 
Son ? Paul speaks of it as a high privilege, when he 
said, “ Ye are come to an innumerable company of an¬ 
gels.” But what is the society of angels compared to a 
union with Jesus ? Moreover, angels have no such privi¬ 
lege : for while Jesus is to them their Lord and Sove¬ 
reign,and governs them by his supreme command, yet is 
he not to them as he is to his church, the glorious head 
of that church which is his body, and by which he per¬ 
petually communicates to all his members a source of 
gracious and glorious influences, according to what he 
hath said, “ Because I live, ye shall live also.” Hence 
what the Redeemer said to the Father is explained on this 
sure testimony, “The glory thou gavest me I have given 
them, that they may be one, even as we are one.” Look 
at the subject under another consideration. Hath not 
Jesus given present glory to all his redeemed in that com¬ 
munication which is perpetually passing and repassing 
between him and them, by virtue of this oneness, and 
unity, and interest, into which they are actually brought? 
My soul! what sayest thy experience to this precious 
truth? Dost thou really and truly partake of what is 
Jesus’s; and doth he not really and truly partake of what 
is thine ? Is there not an exchange, a barter, a fellow¬ 
ship, carried on between thy glorious head and thyself? 
Surely thou hast communion in whatever belongs to 
Christ as Mediator, in his righteousness, in his grace, 
his redemption, his glory. And doth not Jesus manifest 
continual tokens that he takes part of all that concerns 


130 


APRIL 22 . 


thee ; thy sorrows, thy wants, thine afflictions ? Was it 
not said of him, ages before his incarnation, when speak¬ 
ing of his people, in all their affliction he was afflicted ? 
And is it not said now, that whosoever toucheth his 
people, toucheth the apple of his eye ? Oh ! unparal¬ 
leled grace ! oh ! matchless love ! that the Son of God 
should thus manifest his affliction. What will you 
call this, my soul, but what thy God and Saviour hath 
called it—the glory which the Father gave him he hath 
given to his people ? And all this on purpose to prove 
that they are one with him. Hallelujah ! 

Wheresoever the carcase is, there will the 
eagles be gathered together.— Matt. xxiv. 28. 

My soul! these are the words of Jesus, none of which 
should be suffered to fall to the ground. No doubt much 
instruction is contained in this passage. An eagle is a 
bird of prey: and Job saith that the eagle hasteth to the 
prey as the swift ships. Job ix. 26. In all birds of prey 
there is great sagacity, a vast quickness of scent to smell 
their proper food afar off; and thus natural instinct, 
added to a rapacious appetite, compels those creatures 
to fly swift to their prey, and to devour the carcase. Is 
there nothing in all this that suits thee, my soul ? Oh! 
yes. If Jesus hath given thee a real principle of life in 
himself, which becomes a spiritual quickening from day 
to day, and from one hour to another, thy hungering and 
thirsting for Jesus will be as earnest and as importunate 
as the instinct of nature in those birds for daily food. 
Pause, my soul, and say—is it so ? Dost thou seek after 
Jesus in his ordinances, in his word, in retirement, in 
meditation, in prayer, in providences ; and, in short, in 
all the various ways by which thou mayst enjoy him, as 
a famished bird would hasten to his prey ? If Jesus be 
indeed the one blessed object of thy desire, will not this 
be manifested by the earnestness of thy desires? Did 
David long for the waters of Bethlehem when thirsty ? 
Did he declare, that as the hart panted for the water- 
brooks, so he longed for the enjoyment of God ? Here 
then, my soul, mayst thou learn how to estimate the 
real standard of thy affections to thy Jesus. Oh! for 



APRIL 23. 


131 


grace to have the soul exercised day and night, and 
never, never to give over those longings, like pregnant 
women, until the full desires of the soul in Jesus, and 
upon Jesus, be fully gratified. Methinks, as the eagles 
gather together unto the carcase, so should believers be 
found feasting upon Jesus. In Jesus, and his glorious 
excellencies, every thing is suited to the wants of the 
believer: his name, his person, his work, his blood, his 
righteousness ; every perfection, every promise, every 
experience we have had in him, in times past, becomes 
food to the soul. So that the spiritual cravings of the 
soul, when the soul is in health and strength, like the 
natural cravings of the bird of prey, act like the same 
instinct to lead to and to feed upon Jesus. See, then, my 
soul, whether this morning thou art risen with a keen ap¬ 
petite for Jesus. Surely thou hast tasted that the Lord is 
gracious in times past. And if thou art in health of soul, 
wilt thou not as much hunger again for this heavenly 
food, as the body of a healthy man craves for his 
morning meal ? O blessed Lord! give me this ap¬ 
petite. Excite an hungering in me for thee. Let it be 
for thyself; not for thy gifts only, not for thy graces 
only, sweet as these are; but, blessed Jesus ! let it be 
for thyself. And let this desire be continual; every day, 
and all the day. And let it be wholly to thee, in all that 
belongs to thee ; I mean, after every thing in Jesus; 
thy cross, if needful, as well as thy crown ; a love to thy 
precepts as well as thy promises. And oh! let this de¬ 
sire be so insatiable, so earnest, so unceasing, that no¬ 
thing I have of thee may so satisfy me that I should long 
no more after thee ; but rather, provoke my soul’s ap¬ 
petite, and tend but to inflame my heart and longings 
more and more, till, from tasting of thee here below, 
thou bringest me to the fountain-head of enjoyment 
above, where my longing eyes and longingsoul shall feast 
upon Jesus and his lpve for ever and for ever. Amen. 

For to this end Christ both died, and rose, 
and revived, that he might be Lord both of the 
dead and living .—Romans xiv. 9. 

And was this the cause, dearest Jesus ! of all thy suf- 



132 


APRIL 23. 


ferings, that thou mightestbe the universal monarch on 
thine eternal throne ? Then bend thy knee, my heart, 
and all the affections of my soul, and hail thy Jesus Lord 
of all! Now, Lord, I see, through thy blessed teaching, 
though a fool, and slow in heart to believe all that the 
prophets have spoken—now I see how expedient it was 
that Christ should suffer, and should enter into his glory. 
Yes ! thou art, indeed, Lord both of dead and living— 
the dead to raise, even the dead in trespasses and sins ; 
and the living, to live in them, and rule, and guide them. 
And as thou art Lord both of dead and living, so, pre¬ 
cious Jesus ! wilt thou be Lord over all the dead and life¬ 
less affections of thy redeemed. Surely, Lord Jesus, 
my soul may well believe this; for if, when upon the 
cross, thou didst conquer death, now thou art upon the 
throne, every power must be put beneath thy feet. Shout 
then, my soul! shout all ye followers of the Lord : never 
more let dead frames, or dying affections, or unbelief, 
or all the temptations of Satan, cast us down. Is not 
Christ upon the throne ? And is he not Lord both of dead 
and living ? And hath not this Almighty Lord, both of 
dead and living, power to save, power to quicken dead 
sinners and comfort living saints ; to give grace to the 
weak; and to them that have no might, to increase 
strength ? Hath he not power to kindle anew his own 
graves that he first planted ; to bring back again wan¬ 
derers, to reclaim the long-lost backsliders, to soften 
hard hearts, to bind up broken hearts, to justify the 
guilty, to sanctify the filthy, to adopt orphans, to bless 
the fatherless, to be gracious, and kind, and merciful— 
in a word, to be Jesus ? For in that one word is summed 
up all! Oh ! blessed Master! oh for an heart to love 
thee, to live to thee, to walk with thee, to rejoice in 
thee, to be always eyeing thee on thy throne ; and never 
never to lose sight of thee, my glorious, risen, and exalted 
Saviour ! in this sweet and endearing point of view, in 
which thy servant the Apostle hath here represented 
thee: that it was for this end, as well as a thousand 
other blessed purposes, that Christ both died, and rose, 
and revived, that he might be Lord both of dead and 
living. Hallelujah! Amen. 



APRIL 24. 


133 


The breaker is come up before them : they 
have broken up, and have passed through the 
gate, and are gone out by it; and their king 
shall pass before them, and the Lord on the 
head of them .—Micali ii. 13. 

Pause, my soul, over this precious Scripture, and ask 
thine own heart who this almighty Breaker can be, ex¬ 
cept the Lord Jesus Christ; for he, and he alone, an¬ 
swers to such a divine character. Was it not he which 
came up as the Breaker from everlasting, when, in the 
council of peace, the divine decree was broken open, and 
the Son of God stood forth the sinner’s Surety ? Was it 
not he whom John saw by vision, who alone was found 
worthy in heaven to open the book, and loose the seals 
thereof? Was it not the same precious Holy One who, 
when in the volume of the book it was found written of 
him, that he should fulfil the law of Jehovah for sinful 
man, cried out, “Lo ! I come !” And was it not Jesus, 
even thy Jesus, my soul, that in the fulness of time came 
up as the Breaker, to break down the dreadful bar of 
separation which sin had made between God and man, 
and to open a new and living way for the sinner to God 
by his blood ? And when he had broken down the fence 
sin had made, in disobedience to the divine law; the ac¬ 
cusation of Satan ; the dominion of death and the grave, 
by sustaining the whole weight and burden of all in his 
own precious Person; did he not, as the almighty 
Breaker, burst asunder the bars of death, and prove 
himself thereby indeed to be this almighty Breaker, in 
such a palpable evidence, that it was impossible his holy 
soul could be holden by it? And hath he not broken 
through all intervening obstacles, ascended upon high, 
led captivity captive, entered into glory, and there ever 
liveth and appeareth in the presence of God for us ? Is 
not Jesus then this almighty Breaker? But, my soul, 
look yet further. It is said also, in this blessed Scripture, 
that the Breaker is not only come up before them, (that 
is, his people,) but that “ they have broken up, and have 
passed through the gate, and are gone out by it; and 
their king shall pass before them, and the Lord on the 
12 


134 


APRIL 24. 


head of them.” And so they are, if so be this almighty 
Breaker hath broken down the strongholds of sin and 
Satan in which they lay bound; broken down the natural 
hatred and enmity of their own heart against God and 
his Christ, in which they were born, and in which they 
lived, and must have died, but for his sovereign grace 
manifested in them and towards them ; burst open the 
prison doors of Satan, and broke off his cursed chains, 
and brought them out; if these things are wrought and 
accomplished in the people, may they not be said, in his 
strength, to have broken up, and have passed through 
the gates of Satan’s dominions, and are gone out by it 
into the glorious liberty of the sons of God ? Is it so, my 
soul, in thy experience ? Dost thou indeed know Jesus 
for thy almighty Breaker, by such sweet and precious 
tokens of his love and power? Hath thy King passed thus 
before thee, and thy Lord on the head of thee ? Oh ! 
then, be ever on the look out for all the renewed visits 
of his grace, in which he still acts as thine almighty 
Breaker, in breaking down all the remaining obstacles 
which thy unbelief, and fears,and doubts, are continually 
raising up against thy own happiness, in his precious 
manifestations. Look up to him daily, hourly, minutely 
if possible, that he may break down all the remains of 
indwelling corruption in thy nature, by which these fears 
and this unbelief gets hold fast in thy soul; and be 
often on the look out also for that glorious day of God, 
when this almighty Breaker shall finally and fully come, 
and break through the clouds to judgment, to break 
down every remaining evil that keeps thee now from the 
everlasting enjoyment of thy Lord. Hasten, blessed 
Jesus ! come, my Beloved ! and with a glory infinitely 
surpassing all conception manifest thyself as the almighty 
Breaker, in this full display of thy sovereignty and 
power. And then, as Samson (the type in this instance) 
carried with him the gates of his prison, so wilt thou 
break up and carry away all the gates of thy people’s 
graves, and take all thy redeemed home with thee to 
glory, that where thou art, there they shall be also. Hail, 
thou almighty Breaker ! Jesus omnipotent reigneth. 



APRIL 25. 


135 


And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase 
our faith .—Luke xvii. 5. 

Did the Apostles need so to pray ? Then well may 
I. O thou great Author and Finisher of our faith ! I 
would look up to thee, with thankfulness, that thou hast 
granted even the smallest portion of faith to so unworthy 
a creature as I am. Surely, my soul, it is as great a 
miracle of grace that my God and Saviour should have 
kindled belief in thy strong heart, amidst all the surround¬ 
ing obstructions of sin and Satan which lay there ; as 
when the miraculous fire from heaven, in answer to the 
Prophet’s prayer, came down and consumed the wetted 
sacrifice. I praise thee, my God and King, this day, in 
the recollection of this unspeakable, unmerited mercy. 
And though this faith in my heart still be but as a grain 
of mustard-seed; though it be but as a spark in the ocean: 
though it be but as the drop of the dew, in comparison 
of the river; yet, blessed, precious Jesus ! still this is 
faith, and it is thy gift. And is it not a token of thy 
favour? Is it not an earnest of the Holy Spirit, and a 
pledge of the promised inheritance? Babes in faith, as 
well as the strong in the Lord, are equally thine ; for it 
is said, that as many as were ordained to eternal life be¬ 
lieved ; (Acts xiii. 48,) and to as many as believed, thou 
gavest power to become the sons of God: so it is by thy¬ 
self, blessed Redeemer! and not by the strength or weak¬ 
ness of the faith of thy people, their justification before 
God the Father is secured. Precious is that Scripture 
which tells us, that by thee all that believe, whether great 
faith or little faith —all that believe, are justified from all 
things. Acts xiii. 39. But, my soul, while the conscious¬ 
ness of thy possessing the smallest evidences of faith in 
thy beloved, gives thee a joy unspeakable and full of 
glory, dost thou not blush to think what ungrateful re¬ 
turns thou art making to thy Redeemer in the littleness 
of thy faith, in such a God and Saviour ? Whence is it 
that thine affections are so warm in a thousand lesser 
things, and so cold towards Jesus ? Whence that this 
holy word thou so often hearest as though thou heardest 
not? Whence the ordinances of Jesus’s house, the pro¬ 
mises of his Scriptures, the visits of his grace; whence 


136 


APRIL 26. 


these pass again and again before thee, and thou re- 
mainest so cold and lifeless in thy affections ? Whence 
that the temptations of Satan, the corruptions of thine 
heart, the allurements of the world, gain any influence 
upon thee? Whence that thou art so anxious about 
things that perish; about any thing, about nothing de¬ 
serving to be called interesting; whence so seldom at the 
court of the heavenly King, where thou oughtest to be 
found daily, hourly, waiting ; and whence, under trials, 
or the want of answers at a mercy-seat, fretful, impatient, 
and misgiving—whence all these, and numberless other 
evils, but from the weakness and littleness of thy love to 
Jesus, thy trust in Jesus, thy dependence upon Jesus, 
and thy communion with Jesus ? All, all arise out of 
this one sad cause, my soul, thine unbelief. Jesus! 
Master ! look upon me, put the cry with earnestness in 
my heart, that I may unceasingly, with the apostles* 
prayer, be sending forth this as the first and greatest pe¬ 
tition of my whole soul—“Lord ! increase my faith !” 


Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep that are 
even shorn, which come up from the washing; 
whereof every one bear twins, and none is bar¬ 
ren among them .—Song iv. 2. 

See, my soul, how Jesus sets off the beauties of his 
church, when made comely in his comeliness, which he 
hath put upon it. Jesus’s whole church forms but one 
flock: for there shall be one fold and one shepherd. And 
though it is called a little flock, and a flock of slaughter, 
yet it is a beautiful flock in the Lord’s hand. But where¬ 
fore are the teeth of the church said to be like a flock 
shorn ? Probably, from their never being exercised but 
upon divine things : shorn to all desires in which un¬ 
shorn and carnal persons delight. The believer feeds on 
Jesus: his flesh he finds to be meat indeed, his blood 
drink indeed. To the roof of his mouth this becomes 
like the best wine, which goeth down sweetly, causing 
even the lips of those that sleep to speak. And how do 
believers, like sheep, come up from the washing; but 
when from the washing of regeneration, and a renewing 




APRIL 27. 


137 


of the Holy Ghost shed upon them abundantly, through 
Jesus Christ, they come up clean and washed in Jesus’s 
blood, and adorned in the robe of Jesus’s righteousness, 
and are presented before God and the Father, and ac¬ 
cepted in the Beloved ? And oh ! how fruitful are they, 
like sheep which bear twins! None are barren or un¬ 
fruitful among them, because they show forth the praises 
of him who hath called them out of darkness into his 
marvellous light. The twin graces, if they may so be 
called,of faith and love, of prayer and praise, mark whose 
they are, and to whom they belong. The old fleece of na¬ 
ture being taken from them, they are shorn to the world. 
And the former filthiness and uncleanness of mind they 
are washed from to themselves; and hence they come 
up to mention the loving-kindness of the Lord, and to 
prove that they are neither barren nor unfruitful in the 
knowledge of the Lord, and in the power of his might. 
My soul! is this thy state ? Are thy teeth like this 
flock? and thy knowledge and enjoyment of Jesus a 
real heartfelt enjoyment of him ? Canst thou truly relish 
nothing of food but what hath Jesus in it; nothing plea¬ 
sant to thy taste but this bread of God, which came down 
from heaven ? Comfort thyself then, my soul, that by 
and by the teeth of death will separate, like the sheep 
that is shorn, the body of corruption under which thou 
still groanest, being burdened ; and thou shalt come 
up from the washing in the fountain of Jesus’s blood, 
clothed in his garment of salvation, and made a meet 
partaker of an inheritance with the saints in light! 


Behold how he loved him !—John xi. 36. 

The tears of Jesus at the tomb of Lazarus produced 
that astonishment in the mind of the Jews, that they 
thus exclaimed ! But had they known, or did the whole 
world know, what I know of thy love to me, thou dear 
Redeemer of my soul, every one that heard it might with 
greater wonder cry out, Behold how he loveth him ! I 
would for the present pass by, in my contemplation o 
thy love, all the numberless instances of it, which I pos¬ 
sess in common with thy church and people ; for though 
these ip every and in all cases carry with them the tokens 
12 * 



138 


APRIL 27. 


of a love that passeth knowledge, yet, for the meditation 
of the morning, I would pause over the view of Jesus’s 
love to me a poor sinner, not as it is displayed in general 
mercies, even the glorious mercies of redemption, but as 
those mercies come home, in their personal direction of 
them to my own heart, even to mine. Think, my soul, 
what a huge volume thou wilt have to read over in eter¬ 
nity, of Jesus’s love to thee, as distinguished, express, 
personal, and particular. And, amidst all the several 
chapters of that love, how wilt thou dwell with rapture 
on those two sweet verses of it, which, like the hymn in 
one of the psalms, thou wilt have to chant aloud, after 
the review of every blessing noted down ; for his mercy 
endureth for ever: I me an , first, that Jesus should ever 
look with pity on thee ; and next to this, that after such 
distinguishing grace, the floods of sin and corruption in 
thee should not have quenched that love and extinguished 
it for ever. The thought of Jesus’s love, if looked at only 
in these two points of view, will he enough to employ 
thy immortal faculties in contemplation, and love, and 
praise, to all eternity. Pause, my soul, and take a short 
view of each. Jesus looked on thee, loved thee, called 
thee, redeemed thee, manifested himself to thee, other¬ 
wise than he doth to the world; and this at the time 
when thousands and tens of thousands are passed by, of 
temper, mind, disposition, and understanding, in every 
point of view vastly thy superiors, and far more promis¬ 
ing to glorify him ! Bow down, my soul, while thou pon- 
derest over the rich mercy, and refer all the praise and 
all the glory unto Him, whose free grace, not thy deserts, 
became the sole cause. And when thou hast fully turned 
this astonishing subject over in thy mind, think again, 
that after such distinguishing grace, how increasingly 
astonishing it is, that all thy repeated and aggravated, 
transgressions have not extinguished this love towards 
thee, but that Jesus still loves, though thou hast been, 
and still continuest, so ungrateful. Oh! love unequalled, 
past all comprehension! when shall this base, this 
shameful heart of mine so love thee as to live to thy 
glory ? Lord, I abhor myself in this view of thy grace 
and my vileness ! 



APRIL 28. 


139 


And the Lord said, Arise, anoint him; for 
this is he. Then Samuel took the horn of oil, 
and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: 

1 Sam. xvi. 12, 13. 

Was David singled out from amidst his brethren, to 
be the Lord’s anointed ; and do I not behold in this the 
representation of Jesus,that Holy One, concerning whom 
the Lord spake in vision, and said, I have laid help upon 
One that is mighty; I have exalted One chosen out of 
the people ? Yes ! thou Lord our Righteousness ! in 
this I behold thee. And let my soul make this sweet 
subject the meditation of my morning song, for surely 
it is a lovely song, to hail thee the chiefest among ten 
thousand ! I behold thee, then, thou dear Emmanuel, by 
the eye of faith, as coming up from everlasting, when, 
amidst that immense multitude of those thou disdainedst 
not to call thy brethren, thou stoodest forth, in the eter¬ 
nal view, as the glorious One, to be the Christ, the God- 
man Mediator, for the salvation of thy church and 
people. Here, precious Jesus ! didst thou appear, to 
God our Father’s view, pre-eminent above thy fellows. 
And of the whole body,the church, which God our Father 
in the great decree determined to form as the receivers 
of grace and mercy, and of eternal life and salvation, 
thou wert appointed their glorious Head; that, in thee, 
and from thee, and through thee, they might become a 
glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such 
thing, but that thou mightest present it to thyself in love. 
And surely, dearest, precious Jesus; had every individual 
of thy redeemed brethren been present, as all the sons of 
Jesse passed in review before the prophet, to have chosen 
their glorious head, on none but thee could that choice 
have fallen. All voices would have echoed to Jehovah’s 
proclamation : “ Arise, anoint him ; for this is He. Yes ! 
truly, Lord, thou art He whom thy brethren shall praise ; 
and all thy Father’s children, with devout rapture and 
holy joy, shall bow down before thee. Thou art heir of 
all things, the chiefest and first born in the womb of 
mercy. It is thou that art entitled to the most full, 
honourable, and unchangeable right to all thy Father’s 
inheritance. Men shall be blessed in thee# and all na- 


140 


APRIL 29. 


tions shall call thee Blessed. My soul! delight thyself 
unceasingly in this contemplation of thy Jesus. God 
thy Father hath chosen him. He hath anointed him with 
the holy oil of salvation, and the Spirit was given unto 
him, not by measure. And is not God’s chosen thy 
chosen ; the Father’s anointed, thine anointed ? Is there 
any in heaven, or upon earth,to whom thou art looking 
for help, or strength, or comfort, or salvation, but to 
Jesus ? Who but Jesus, my soul, wouldst thou have for 
a Saviour ? What object so desirable as Jesus to claim 
thy love ? Witness for me, ye sons of light, ye angels 
that see his face and do his pleasure, that Jesus is my 
only Beloved, my Hope, my portion. Shortly I shall join 
your assembly, and with you bless and adore Jesus in 
endless song, the fairest andchiefest among ten thousand. 


The marriage of the Lamb is come, and his 
wife hath made herself ready. And to her 
was granted, that she should be arrayed in fine 
linen, clean and white : for the fine linen is the 
righteousness of saints.— Rev. xix. 7, 8. 

Behold, my soul, behold that day, that glorious day, 
in which redemption is to be consummated, and in the 
kingdom of heaven ; when the Son of God brings home 
his bride, the church, the full celebration of God’s glory 
in the happiness of the redeemed in Jesus, everlasting 
joy will burst forth. See how thy nature is then to be 
adorned ! The whole body, the church, is then to be ar¬ 
rayed in the robes of Jesus’s righteousness, having been 
washed from all their sins in his blood. And these nup¬ 
tial ornaments are to be granted or given to the 
church; for she hath no righteousness of her own, but 
as all along in this world she had professed, so there in 
the upper world she triumphantly sings, “ I will greatly 
rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God ; 
for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, 
he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a 
bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a 
bride adorneth herself with her jewels.” Isaiah lxi. 10. 
Pause, my squI, over this view! Is this to be thy adorn- 



APRIL 30. 


141 


ing in glory ? See to it then, my soul, that it becomes 
thy covering now. How suited is it to all thy circum¬ 
stances ! Thou hast no fine linen, nothing clean, nothing 
white. Think how comely Jesus’s robe of righteousness 
must be to appear in! This is the wedding-garment by 
faith worn at his supper upon earth, and the same in 
fruition in which thou art to sit down at his table above. 
And oh ! how suitable a covering to hide all thy deformity, 
to conceal and take away all thy pollution. And will 
not this procure thee favour and acceptance with God ? 
Is it not thus that Jesus’s followers are distinguished 
from men of the world? Art thou now clothed with 
it ? Hath God the Spirit put it on ? Doth Jesus now 
send thee these love tokens as his betrothed; and, in 
the ordinances of his grace, doth he grant thee many 
sweet espousals ? O, then, my soul, see to it, that thy 
righteousness is that of Jesus’s own, with which his 
church is arrayed, and that these robes are always 
clean and white, which are washed in the blood of the 
Lamb; for, ere long, the midnight cry will be heard: 
Behold, the Bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet him! 
Oh! precious Lord Jesus! give me to hear that voice 
with joy, that with holy wings of love, in that last office 
of faith, to be then swallowed up in sight, I may arise 
to enter with thee into the marriage, to sit down with 
thee for ever. 


Nevertheless, I am continually with thee. 

Psalm lxxiii. 23. 

Yes ! my soul, and well is it for thee that it is so; 
there is a nevertheless in the precious redemption by 
Jesus, which secures thee, amidst all thy languishing 
seasons, when to thy view it sometimes appears as though 
the Lord had forgotten to be gracious, and had shut up 
his loving-kindness in displeasure. And whence this 
security but in Jesus, and the covenant engagements of 
God the Father in him ? The everlasting worth and 
efficacy of the Redeemer’s righteousness and death are 
the same amidst all the changeable circumstances of his 
people’s warfare. By the expression of being continually 
with Jesus, is meant, no doubt, that union with his person 



142 


APRIL 30. 


as the sinner’s Surety, which gives security and firmness 
to the everlasting state and happiness of his redeemed. 
And it is this which constitutes, not only the safety of his 
people now, but the happiness of his people for ever. 
Heaven itself, but for Jesus, and the constant flow of 
righteousness and glory in him, and from him, would 
cease to be heaven. The souls of just men made perfect 
could be no longer happy nor righteous, but as those 
supplies flow in upon their souls from him. So that the 
everlasting preciousness of Jesus, as the glorious Head 
of his people, is thus confirmed, and the felicity of the 
church must be wholly made up from this eternal union 
with him. Hence, how precious the thought I am con¬ 
tinually with thee ! And is this thy portion, my soul ? 
Art thou alive to this sweet and soul-reviving thought? 
Is Jesus, thy Jesus, continually with thee, and thou con¬ 
tinually with him ? See to it, that the nearness of Jesus 
to thee hath the same effect upon thee, as with things 
in nature, when the earth and the inhabitants testify their 
sense of feeling. Doth not the earth, and the plants, 
and the birds, and every thing look gay, when the sun 
renews the face of the earth, and shines with loveliness, 
to make all nature smile ? And shall thy Sun of Right¬ 
eousness arise unobserved or unenjoyed, who comes with 
healing in his wings ? O precious Jesus! cause me so 
to live upon thee that I may be always eyeing thee, 
in dark seasons as well as bright hours ; that, from never 
suffering thy dear image to depart for a moment from my 
heart, I may be so prepared to behold thy face in open 
glory, when the veil of this flesh is removed and I awake 
up after thy likeness, that, though I change my place, 
I shall not change my company. In earth, or heaven, yet, 
if with thee, happiness is begun in the soul; and faith, 
in lively exercise, is itself an anticipation of glory, by 
just so much as the soul realizeth thy sweet presence, in 
being ever with the Lord. 



MAY 1. 


143 


MAY. 

Thou shalt call his name Jesus.— Matt. i. 21. 

This is one more of the Redeemer’s names which is as 
ointment poured forth. As if the Holy Ghost had been 
graciously consulting the everlasting comfort and happi¬ 
ness of his people, and therefore commanded the church 
to know their Lord, by so many different and endearing 
appellations. As if he had said, are you kept back from 
approaching him through fear ? Oh! no :—go to him, 
for he is Emmanuel. So great as God, that he is able to 
save ! so tender and near, as man, that he is more ready 
to bestow mercy than you are to ask it! Are you kept 
back for want of righteousness? be not so, for he is 
the Lord our Righteousness, and what you need he hath 
for you. Or are you depressed by reason of sin ? Let 
not this discourage you, for his name is purposely Jesus, 
because he, and he alone, shall save his people from their 
sins. My soul! what knowest thou practically and 
personally of this most blessed name of thy Saviour ? It 
is one thing to have heard of him as Jesus, and another 
to know him to be Jesus. There are multitudes who 
rest satisfied with the name. The Jews knew him, 
saw him, conversed with him; but they knew him not 
as a Saviour. Nav, more than this; many have had, 
and still have, an historical knowledge and belief that 
Jesus is a Saviour, but yet no apprehension or concern 
for an interest in him. Thus Balaam, whose eyes 
were so far opened, but his heart never affected, as to 
have visions concerning Christ. But what an awful 
account did this impious creature give of himself! I shall 
see him, (said he,) but not now : I shall behold him, but 
not nigh. Numb. xxiv. 17. What an awful state ! O 
my soul! bless thy God, thy Jesus, that thy knowledge 
is not of the head only, but of the heart. Thou hast not 
simply heard of Jesus, but received him as Jefeus,ap the 
salvation of thy soul. Thou hast seen God in Christ: 
the Father’s name, the Father’s authority, in him. Thou 
hast come to him in that name, and by that authority, as 
a poor sinner, and found Jesus precious. And is not 
Jesus precious to thee ? Is not the very name of Jesus 


144 


MAY 2. 


most precious ! As one of old expressed it, so hast thou 
found it, that in this one name of thy Lord, the whole of 
the gospel is folded up; it is the light, the food, the 
medicine, the very jubilee of the soul. Yes! thou blessed, 
holy, gracious Lord ! Yes ! thy name is indeed Jesus, 
for thou art, thou wilt he Jesus. And they that know 
thy name will put their trust in thee, for thou shalt save 
thy people from their sins. 

And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, 
Wilt thou go with this man ? And she said, I 
will go.— Gen. xxiv. 58. 

See, my soul, with what readiness Rebekah determined 
to accompany the servant of Abraham to Isaac. And 
wilt thou not arise and go forth at the invitation of the 
servants of Jesus, who sends them to call thee to his arms ? 
Hath he not, by the sweet constraining influences, of his 
Holy Spirit, as well as by the outward ministry of his 
blessed word, made thee willing in the day of his power ? 
Did the servant of Abraham give an earnest of his mas¬ 
ter’s affection in putting the bracelets upon Rebekah’s 
hands, and the ear-rings, and the gold ? But what was 
this to the love-tokens which Jesus himself hath given 
thee, when he set thee as a seal upon his heart, and as a 
seal upon his arm, and when all the waters of divine 
wrath his holy soul had poured upon him for thy sins, and- 
all the floods of corruption, which, like a deluge, had 
overspread thy whole nature, could not quench his love, 
nor drown it. And if it be demanded, then, from thine 
own mouth this day, Wilt thou go with this man, this 
God-man, this Glory-man, this Jesus?—wilt thou not 
instantly cry out, I will go ? Yes ! thou altogether lovely 
Lord, thou chiefest and fairest among ten thousand, I 
will go with thee. I would forget mine own people, and 
my father’s house. For my father’s house is a house 
of bondage. I was born in sin, and shapen in iniquity. A 
child of wrath, even as others, and by nature dead in 
trespasses and sins. It is thou, blessed Jesus, who hast 
delivered me from the wrath to come. It is thou who 
hast quickened me by thy Holy Spirit to a new and spi¬ 
ritual life. It is thou who hast sent thy servants to call 



MAY 3. 


145 


me to thyself, and hast betrothed me to thyself for ever. 
And is there any that yet asketh me, wilt thou go with 
this man? My whole soul would outrun the question, 
and, like the apostle, I would answer, To whom else shall 
I go ? Witness for me,ye servants of my Lord, ye angels, 
and ministers of light. I have none in heaven, neither 
in earth, but him, Yes ! thou dearest Redeemer ! I will 
go with thee, follow thee, live with thee, hang upon thee, 
die with thee, nor even death itself shall part thee and 
me. Oh! let those precious words of thine, concerning 
thy church, be sweetly felt in my soul, “ I will say, it is 
my people and my whole soul will make her responses 
to the gracious sound, and say, “ The Lord is my God.” 


Sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in 
his right mind .—Luke viii. 35. 

Look at this man, my soul, and see whether thou canst 
find any resemblance to thyself. Before that he heard 
the voice of Jesus, he was under the possession of the 
evil spirit. It is said of him, that he wore no clothes. 
He dwelt in no house, but abode among the tombs. He 
was cutting himself with stones. No man could tame 
him, neither fetters nor chains bind him. Poor, miserable 
creature! And yet, my soul, was not this a true emblem 
of thy state, and, indeed, of every man’s state, by nature ? 
Had not Satan full possession of thine heart and affec¬ 
tions, my soul, before that thou becamest savingly ac¬ 
quainted with the Lord Jesus Christ ? Did he not lead 
thee in the pursuit and gratification of thy lusts and plea¬ 
sures at his will ? Thou mightest truly be said to wear 
no clothes, for, so far from having on the garment of 
Jesus’s righteousness, in those days of thine unregene- 
racy thou wert naked, to thy shame, in the filth of nature. 
Thou didst not dwell in the house of God, nor even 
delight to go hither. And, as this poor creature abode 
among the dead, so didst thou live, and abide with cha¬ 
racters like thyself, dead ip trespasses and sins. And as 
this miserable man was wounding himself with stones, so 
wert thou, for thy daily commission of sin was giving 
wounds to thy soul, infinitely more alarming than the 
wounds he gave his body. And could no chains or fet- 



145 


MAY 4. 


ters be found strong enough to bind him? so neither 
did all the solemn commands and threatening judgments 
of God’s holy law act with the least restraint upon thine 
ungoverned passions. Pause, my soul, over the repre¬ 
sentation, and acknowledge how just and striking the 
similarity. Then ask thyself, Art thou now sitting at the 
feet of Jesus, clothed, and in thy right mind ? Yes ! if 
so be, like this poor man, thou hast heard the voice of 
Jesus, and felt the power of his grace in thine heart. If 
one like the Son of God hath set thee free, brought thee 
to his fold, opened thine ear to discipline, and thine heart 
to grace, then art thou free indeed. What sayest thou, 
my soul, to these things? Is there this change, this 
blessed change from dead works, to serve the living and 
true God ? Oh! then, will not the language of thine 
heart be like Jesus and his church of old ? “ I will 

greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in 
my God : for he hath clothed me with the garments of 
salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of right¬ 
eousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with orna¬ 
ments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.” 


The hind of the morning. 

Psalm xxii. in the Title. 

The dying patriarch Jacob, under the influence of the 
prophetic spirit, pointed to the seed of Naphtali as a hind 
let loose. But it is the church which points to Jesus as 
the Hind of the morning : for he is, indeed, the loving 
Hind, and the pleasant Roe. It is sweet and profitable 
to observe in what a variety of methods the Holy Ghost 
hath been pleased to give sketches of Jesus. My soul, 
look at Jesus for thy present meditation as the Hind of 
the morning. Was he not, from the very morning of 
eternity, marked under this lovely character ? Did not 
the church speak of him, and desire his appearance, un¬ 
der this same character, when she begged of him, that, 
until the shadowsof Jewish ordinances were passed away, 
and the day of gospel light should break in upon her, 
that her beloved would be like a young hart, or the roe, 
upon the mountains of Bether ? And was not Jesus, in¬ 
deed, when he did appear, truly, as the hind, which the 



MAY 5. 


147 


dogs that compassed him about, and the assembly of the 
wicked, enclosed ? Did he not say, in those unequalled 
moments of suffering, Save me from the lion’s mouth, for 
thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns ? Yes, 
precious Jesus ! thou art indeed the Hind of the morn¬ 
ing ! In the morning of our salvation, thou earnest over 
the hills and mountains of our sinful nature, with the 
swiftness of the hind, and the loveliness and gentleness 
of the roe, to expose thyself to the servant, and the whole 
host of foes, for the deliverance of thy people. And, 
having trod upon the lion, and the adder, and the young 
lion, and the dragon, trampled under thy feet; by thy 
death thou didst overcome death, and him that had the 
power of death, that is, the devil; and hast delivered 
them who, through fear of death, were all their lifetime 
subject to bondage. And now, precious Lord ! thou art, 
as the hind slain, the food of the souls of thy redeemed 
by faith, until faith itself is done away in sight, and hope 
swallowed up in absolute fruition. Oh ! let the language 
of my heart daily, hourly, correspond to the church of 
old ; and, during the shadows of ordinances, and all the 
dark clouds of unbelief and temptations with which I am 
here exercised, let me still, by faifti, behold thee as the 
Hind of the morning, fleeing swiftly to my assistance, 
hearing and answering my prayers, leaping over all the 
mountains of distance which sin and unworthiness would 
throw up between thee and my soul, opposing all my 
enemies, and beating them under my feet that would 
keep me from thee; until that day, that glorious ever¬ 
lasting day which will have no night, shall break in upon 
my soul, and thou wilt then appear, to my unceasing, 
uninterrupted joy, the Hind, indeed, of the morning. 
Make haste, my Beloved! and be thou like unto a roe, 
or to a young hart, upon the mountains of spices. 


Believest thou not that I am in the Father, 
and the Father in me f—Joh?i xiv. 10. 

My soul, thou wilt never sufficiently contemplate this 
blessed oneness between the Father and the Son, in the 
great work and glory of redemption. Pause, this morn¬ 
ing, and observe, for the confirmation of thy faith, that 



148 


MAY 5. 


as Jesus is one with the Father in all the essence and at¬ 
tributes of the Godhead, so God the Father is one with 
Jesus in all the offices of redemption. God was in 
Christ’s human nature, for he is said to have been God 
manifest in the flesh. God was in every name of Christ, 
every work of Christ, every word of Christ, every office 
of Christ, every attribute of Christ. And hence, in see¬ 
ing Christ, we truly see God; in all his grace, mercy, 
love, salvation, and every blessing connected with our 
present, future, eternal happiness. And what a sweet 
thought is that, my soul, for thee to dwell upon: that as 
the Father is in Jesus, and in him dwelleth all the fulness 
of the Godhead bodily, so, in consequence, there is a 
fulness of grace and a fulness of glory in Jesus, to give 
out a supply here of the one, and hereafter of the other, 
to satisfy the most capacious desires of the souls of his 
redeemed to all eternity. For the human nature being 
personally united to the Godhead in the person of the 
Lord Jesus, there must be this fulness everlastingly dwell¬ 
ing. There may be, and for certain purposes sometimes 
there are, great gifts and graces of the Spirit poured out 
upon the Lord’s servants; but never could the Godhead 
be found in any but Jesus. God was in Christ reconcil¬ 
ing the world to himself. Pause once more, my soul, 
and ask thyself, Hast thou Christ ? then hast thou God 
the Father in him. Where Christ is, God the Father is; 
and where Christ is not, there God is not. See then, my 
soul, that this is the standard to ascertain the reality of 
thy case as it appears before God. Hast thou Jesus for 
thy portion? then the Father is in him. Dost thou love 
Jesus? then must thou love the Father in him. Dost 
thou seek Jesus ? then art thou seeking the Father in 
him. Oh ! for grace to discover our true interest in all 
the Father’s covenant engagements and promises, from 
this very source; that this everlasting oneness between 
the Father and Son infallibly secures to his people all 
the blessings of redemption, for, in seeing the Son, we 
literally and truly see the Father, and glorify the Father 
in Jesus. Amen. 



MAY G. 


149 


And he said, I am Joseph your brother, 
whom ye sold into Egypt.— Gen. xlv. 4. 

What an interview was this in the first manifestation 
the governor of Egypt made of himself to his brethren ! 
We are told that he wept aloud. His bowels yearned 
over them. He had long smothered in his own bosom 
those tender feelings he possessed, of the greatest love 
towards them; and when he had dismissed every looker 
on, and stranger, he broke out in those kind expressions, 
I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. 
But what were the feelings of the patriarch, compared to 
those of the Lord Jesus, when he made himself known to 
his disciples after he arose from the dead; and as he now 
manifests himself to every poor sinner, whom, by his 
grace, he makes partaker in the first resurrection, on 
whom the second death hath no power ? I am Jesus, your 
Brother, (saith that adored Lord;) but he doth not 
add, whom ye sold for worse than a slave. There is no 
upbraiding, nothing of our baseness and our sins. And 
yet we have all not only sold him, but, by our transgres¬ 
sions, crucified him. What a beautiful, feature this is in 
the Redeemer! and how much even the love of Joseph 
falls short of Jesus ! And what endears it still more, is 
the peculiar attention the Redeemer manifesteth upon 
the occasion. If there be one of his brethren more dis¬ 
tressed and discouraged by reason of sin than another, to 
him will Jesus direct his manifestation more immediately. 
Witness the case of Peter after his fall. Jesus will have 
the account of his resurrection not only communicated to 
all, but Peter is mentioned by name. Go tell his disci¬ 
ples and Peter. As if knowing the apostle might fear 
that, having denied Jesus, he might justly be denied by 
him. No, saith Jesus, let Peter be particularly told the 
joyful news, to make his heart glad. And dost thou, 
dearest Lord, speak to my soul ? Dost thou say to me, 
I am your Brother? Art thou not ashamed to call such 
sinners brethren? O thou unequalled pattern of un¬ 
exampled love ! add one mercy more to the vast account, 
and let a portion of it kindle a flame of love in my soul. 
I have, indeed, sold thee for a slave, nailed thee, by my 
sins, to the cross, and put thee to an open shame. But 
13 * 


150 


MAY 7. 


since thou hast redeemed me by thy blood, and bought 
the pardon of my sins so dear, and now, by thy triumph 
over death, art become the first-born among many bre¬ 
thren, and exalted as a Prince and a Saviour to give 
blessings infinitely superior to those Joseph was exalted 
to bestow on his brethren; behold, Lord, to thee do I 
come: manifest thyself still the forgiving Brother, and 
supply all my wants. Yes, blessed Jesus! thou art he 
whom thy brethren shall praise; and all thy Father’s 
children shall fall down before thee. 


They shall revive as the corn .—Hosea xiv. 7. 

Sweet promise to comfort a soul, like mine, under 
so many and such frequent languishing graces ! How 
often hath it appeared to my view as if the gracious seed 
had perished ? It was small, indeed, in its first begin¬ 
ning, like the grain of mustard seed; and no sooner 
had it appeared, than I perceived it almost choked with 
the tares of corruption, unbelief, and Satan’s rubbish. I 
was soon led to suspect God’s work upon my soul. Surely, 
I said, this is not grace. Presently I could see no more 
of it. I was ignorant that by thus dying to self the Holy 
Ghost was opening to my view the only living in Jesus. 
In a moment unlooked for it revived as the corn. Ah ! 
from whence the source ? Not from self, not from la¬ 
bours, not from exertions: can dead roots live ? The 
Holy Ghost taught me this must be Jesus. Your life, 
he said, is hid with Christ in God. Here are springs of 
grace ; here, from hence, flow the streams of that river 
which make glad the city of God. Here, then, is faith’s 
view of God’s glory in Christ. Here is the promise. 
They shall revive as the corn. And thus it is fulfilled. 
In me (saith that precious Redeemer) is thy fruit found. 
Mark this down, my soul. Both root and fruit are in 
one and the same, even Jesus. Spiritual attainments are 
in Jesus, not in the greenest buddings or fairest blossoms 
of our own labours. Live, then, my soul, wholly upon 
Jesus, and then thou wilt revive as the corn. Suppose 
it trodden down, suppose the tares of the wicked rise to 
oppose it, yet if Jesus be the root, and the springs of 
grace in him flow, as they cannot but flow, to keep alive 



MAY 8. 


161 


all the branches in him, there shall he, there must be, 
at last, a glorious harvest. Oh! what a volume doth 
the soul sometimes read at once in that short promise, 
Because. I live ye shall live also. Hail! hail thou glorious 
root out of a dry ground ! thou wilt send forth the golden 
ears for thine own garner. Thou wilt weed out every 
thing that annoys. Thou wilt water, and by the sweet 
influences of thy blood, thy word, and Spirit, thou wilt 
shine upon the standing corn. And when, by all thy 
gracious husbandry, (for the whole work and glory is 
thine,) thou hast caused the plentiful crop to hang down 
their heads in all the humbleness of self-abasement, as 
the token of ripeness; thou wilt command thine angel 
to put in the sickle of death, and take home every stalk 
and every grain of the precious seed to thy garner in 
heaven. 


Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection 
and the life: he that believeth in me, though 
he were dead, yet shall he live. And who¬ 
soever liveth, and believeth in me, shall never 
die. Believest thou this ?—John xi. 25, 26. 

Pause, my soul, over those divine, those glorious, those 
soul-quickening, self-reviving words of thy Almighty 
Redeemer ! What man, what prophet, what servant of 
the Lord, what angel, but He that is the Angel of the 
covenant, One with the Father over all, God, blessed for 
ever, could assume such a language, and prove that as¬ 
sumption as Jesus did, both by his own resurrection, and 
that of Lazarus ? And mark, my soul, the many precious 
things contained in this sweet scripture. Observe the 
blessing itself, even resurrection and life. Observe the 
source, the author, the fountain of it, Jesus, thy Jesus. 
Observe for whom this stupendous mercy is designed, 
and to whom conveyed, namely, the dead in trespasses 
and sins, and for the dying, languishing frames of be¬ 
lievers. And lastly, observe how absolute the thing it¬ 
self is ; they shall live. Oh ! precious words of a most 
precious Saviour ! And may I not say to thee, my soul, 
as Jesus did to Mary, after proclaiming himself under 



152 


MAY 9. 




this glorious distinction of character: “ Believest thou 
this?” Canst thou answer as she did, “Yea, Lord, I 
believe that thou art the Christ the Son of God, which 
should come into the world?” This is a blessed confes¬ 
sion to witness before God. For if I believe that Jesus 
be indeed the Christ of God, every other difficulty is re¬ 
moved to the firm belief that, as the Father hath life in 
himself, even so hath the Son life in himself, and whom 
he will he quickeneth. Witness then for me, every looker 
on, angels and men, that my soul heartily, cordially, 
fully subscribes to the same precious truth, and in the 
same language as Mary. Yea, Lord , I would say to 
every word of thine concerning thy sovereignty, grace, 
and love ; as thou hast said it, so I accept it; in the very 
words of thine I take it, and cry out, Yea, Lord, even 
so be it unto me according to thy word. And now, my* 
soul, under all remaining seasons of deadness, coldness, 
backslidings, wanderings, and the like, never henceforth 
forget from whom all revivals can only come. Never 
look within for them: for there is no power of resurrec¬ 
tion in thyself. Can these dry bones live? Yes, if 
Jesus quickens ! And is Jesus less to quicken thee than 
thy connection with Adam to have killed thee? Oh! 
how plain is it that the very wants of the soul correspond 
to the very fulness of Jesus to answer them. And there¬ 
fore, when the Lord Jesus saith, I am the Resurrection 
and the Life, he comes to seek employment in this glo¬ 
rious character, to quicken the dead and revive the 
living. O Lord ! give me to hear thy blessed voice 
this day, and my soul shall live, and live to praise thee. 


A certain Samaritan .—Luke x. 33. 

Look, my soul, beyond the letter of the parable, and 
see if thou canst not instantly discover who it is that is 
here meant. Mark how he is described : “A certain Sa¬ 
maritan.” Not any indifferent undetermined one among 
the whole mass of men called Samaritans ; but an iden¬ 
tical certain one : and who but Jesus answers to this 
character ? Said we not well, (said the Jews,) that thou 
art a Samaritan? Yes, truly, thus far ye said right: 
for our Jesus is the true Samaritan that came a blissful 



MAY 9. 


153 


stranger, from his blessed abode, to deliver us from our 
lost estate ; for his mercy endureth for ever. And, my 
soul, observe bow exactly corresponding to all that is 
said of this certain Samaritan in the parable thy Jesus 
proves to have been. Our nature, universally speaking, 
was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho when it fell 
among thieves, and when it was left more than half dead 
by the great enemy of souls ; for we had all miserably 
departed from the Lord, when Jesus came from heaven 
to the Jericho of this world,'to seek and save that which 
was lost. And what could the Priest or Levite do by 
law or sacrifices to help our ruined nature ? But when 
Jesus came and bound up the wounds which sin and 
Satan had made, by pouring in the balsam of his own 
precious blood, then he proved himself to be this certain 
Samaritan; for none but Jesus could have done this, 
since there is salvation in no other; neither is there any 
other name under heaven given among men whereby 
we must be saved. And what is it now, but the same 
gracious mercy carrying on the same blessed purpose 
in completing the perfect recovery of our nature! It is 
Jesus, Samaritan-like, which hath brought us to the inn 
of his church, hath appointed his servants and angels, 
who are ministering spirits, to minister in all divine 
things to the heirs of salvation. He hath commissioned 
the whole train of ordinances, and providences, and pro¬ 
mises, to minister to our good. His holy word, his Holy 
Spirit, are unceasingly engaged to the same blessed end. 
And what crowns all, and makes our state and circum¬ 
stances most safe and blessed indeed, is, that Jesus hath 
commanded all the remaining costs and expenses of our 
cure to be put down to his account. He saith himself 
to me, a poor worthless sinner as I am, and to every in¬ 
dividual of his redeemed, Whatsoever thou spendest 
more, when I come again, I will repay. And is it so, 
my soul ? Is not the blessing too great to be bestowed, 
and thou too worthless to Teceive it? Oh, no ! For it 
is Jesus who promiseth. That’s enough. Hail then, 
thou certain Samaritan, thou Almighty Traveller through 
our miserable world ! Since the first day that thou didst 
pass by, and didst behold me in my blood cast out to 
perish, and didst bid me live, how hath my soul hailed 


154 


MAY 10. 


thee, and now unceasingly will hail thee, as my life, my 
hope, my joy, my portion for ever! 


By the high-way side begging. 

Mark x. 46. 

My soul, learn a lesson from the beggar this morning. 
And oh, thou blessed friend of beggars! do thou sweetly 
make the view gracious to my soul. What was it led 
this poor man to the high-way side to seek alms ? Surely 
his poverty, wretchedness, and a sense of want. And 
art thou come forth, my soul, from the same cause and 
on the same errand ? I presume this poor creature came 
forth empty; for had he been full he would never have 
conte. And art thou so, my soul? for otherwise it is 
certain they that are full in themselves neVer seek Jesus. 
But amidst his want and poverty, had this poor beggar 
hopes that the passers by would commiserate and relieve 
him ? Yes, no doubt! though some might overlook and 
disregard him, all would not. But, my soul, thy case 
far exceeds his. Though all disregard, Jesus will not: 
and thou art sure he will pass by, and not only behold 
thy misery, but give thee needed relief. JeSus, Master, 
have mercy upon me ! Behold, I am come out this 
morning as poor, as wretched, as empty, and as needy 
as though I never before had heard of thy dear name, 
or been living upon thy fulness. But thou knowest 
that I cannot live upon the alms of yesterday, no more 
than my body can keep in health from the food received 
in the many days that are past, without a new supply. 
Lord, I know that I am thine, and that thou art mine. 
I therefore come to thee for a suited supply ; and sure¬ 
ly, thou wilt not send me empty away. ' Indeed, Lord, 
I rejoice that I feel my poverty; for Lam thereby, as 
an empty vessel, better suited for receiving of thy ful¬ 
ness. Give in, blessed Jesus, to my poor hungry soul, 
and. then I shall find cause to rejoice that my emptiness 
and beggary constrained me to seek thee ; and that my 
mind afforded an opportunity for the display of thy 
grace. Yes, yes, blessed Lord ! I am not only content 
to be poor and to be needy, but to be nothing, to be 
worse than nothing, so that if thereby my blessed Jesus 



MAY 11. 


155 


gets glory in the manifestation of his love and the giv¬ 
ing out of his riches. I will glory even in my infirmi¬ 
ties, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. A 
beggar still I wish to be, and to lay at thy gate, if but 
to glimpse at thy face, and to receive one token from 
thy fair hand. Indeed, indeed, then am I most full, 
when most empty, to be filled with Jesus. 


Let him alone, and let him curse; for the 
Lord hath bidden him. It may be that the 
Lord will look on mine affliction, and that the 
Lord will requite me good for his cursing this 
day .—2 Sam. xvi. 11, 12. 

My soul, see here a believer in his best frame. To be 
sure, it is not always thus with a child of God; but it 
were to be devoutly desired always thus to be. But 
while we admire the faith, let us yet more admire and 
adore Him, and his grace and mercy, who gives it. Oh ! 
what a blessed state it is to eye the hand of the Lord in 
every thing. When Shimei tnus cursed David, he pass- 
eth by the instrument, and recogniseth the hand of the 
Lord in the appointment. Let him alone, for the Lord 
hath bidden him. Sin is at the bottom. The Lord doth 
not correct for naught. How unjust soever on the part of 
man, it is both just and right on the part of God. And 
observe, moreover, the comfort he takes to himself out 
of it. If my God bid my enemy distress me, is it not 
that my Almighty Friend may more sweetly comfort me? 
There is not only a may be , but a certainty there shall be> 
in God’s requiting evil with good to his people. My 
soul, never overlook this in any, and in all of thine exer¬ 
cises. Behold his hand in it, be it what it may, and then 
thou wilt never faint under any burden. Jesus not only 
looks on, but he it is that permits, that appoints. Oh! 
he is tender even in rebukes. By those means he makes 
his children more like himself: and moreover, it is his 
gracious plan to extract pleasure from pain, and by im¬ 
poverishing the soul in self, and in creature love, to turn 
curses into blessings, and convert loss into gain. Doth 
the enemy curse you ? Doth he come out against you ? 



156 


MAY 12. 


Oh ! then, depend upon it, Jesus is going to confer some 
special blessing upon you. Thou art to be advanced 
to great honour, to be made more conformable to his 
blessed image. Jesus is hereby giving you not only to 
believe in him, but to suffer for his sake. Precious 
Lord! grant me then this grace which thy servant 
David was enabled to exercise ; and when the Shimeis 
of the day come forth to curse, let them curse, so thou 
do but bless. And oh for sweet influences from thee, 
dearest Lord! that I may know thee and the power of 
thy resurrection, and the fellowship of thy sufferings, 
being made conformable unto thy death. 


Then said he to Thomas, Reach hither thy 
finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither 
thy hand, and thrust it into my side; and be 
not faithless, hut believing .—John xx. 21. 

Was Jesus willing to have his wounds searched, rather 
than his unbelieving disciple should go unconvinced ? 
Look, then, my soul, at Jesus, and he will grant thee a 
suitable testimony, to hush all thy remaining doubts, if so 
be, after such manifestations of grace as he hath shown 
thee, there be a single doubt left behind. Doth not 
Jesus, in effect, say, in every renewed ordinance, Reach 
hither thy finger, thrust in thine hand, and the precious 
blood thou needest shall flow; for the fountain for sin, 
for uncleanness, for unbelief, and, in short, for every 
necessity of my people, is still open. Is not this the 
language of all ? Doth unbelief doubt the reality of the 
thing itself, like Thomas ? Doth unbelief tempt the soul 
to doubt the particular efficacy of it to special cases, 
such as a man’s own ? Doth unbelief suggest the cir¬ 
cumstances hopeless from delay, from past neglect,from 
present unworthiness ? In answer to all, Jesus speaks, 
“Reach hither thy finger; and if a touch will not sa¬ 
tisfy thee, thrust thy hand deeply into my side ; here is 
enough to silence all fears ; why are those wounds still 
open ? Wherefore did I appear to my servant John as 
a lamb that had been slain, but to convince, by so pal¬ 
pable a testimony, that I am the same yesterday, to-day, 



MAY 13. 


157 


and for ever.” Oh for grace to return the grateful an¬ 
swer to Jesus, My Lord, and my God ! My soul, now 
thou art commanded, this do. Put forth thine hand, 
and leave every other consequence with Jesus. While 
Jesus thus gives himself to thee, my soul, do thou make 
a complete surrender of thyself to him; for this is the 
very exercise of faith that Jesus is come after, and there¬ 
fore let him not go away until he hath taken thine 
whole affections with him, as thy Lord and thy God. 

And one man among them was clothed with 
linen, with a writer’s inkhorn by his side. 

Ezek, ix. 2. 

Pause, my soul, over this scripture. Who could this 
one man he, but Jesus, thy Mediator! Did not his gar¬ 
ment of linen mark his righteousness, and the inkhorn 
to write down his people, his pierced side ? Hath he not 
written in the book of life the names of all his redeemed, 
that none of them may be lost when he cometh to make 
up his jewels? And was it not with an eye to this the 
soldier pierced his side, when by his death he had ob¬ 
tained eternal redemption for them, that he might with 
his precious blood mark his people, as a shepherd doth 
his sheep ? Yes, thou dear Redeemer ! surely I behold 
thee sweetly set forth in this scripture. Surely the 
Holy Ghost, who all along delighted to set thee forth 
under various similitudes before the old church, hath 
graciously represented thee here. Methinks I behold 
thee now coming forth in the white garment of thy 
spotless righteousness, with thy pierced side, to mark 
all thine, before the destroying angels go forth, to the 
everlasting destruction of unawakened, unregenerated 
sinners ! Methinks I hear thy blessed, gracious, com¬ 
passionate voice, in the same tender tone of words as 
thou once didst utter to thy servant John: Him that 
over cometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God , 
and he shall go no more out. And I will write upon 
him the name of my God , and the name of the city of 
my God: and / will write upon him my new name. O 
Lamb of God ! fulfil these blessed promises in my soul! 
Mark me as thine, unto the day of redemption. Seal me as 
14 



158 


MAY 14. 


a signet in thine image,and give me that new name which 
no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it! Then, amidst 
burning worlds, my soul will stand secure, being j ustilied 
in thy righteousness, and sprinkled with thy blood; and 
I shall hear with holy joy, that glorious, but awful voice, 
Come not near any man upon whom is the mark. 

If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in 
the Spirit .—Gal v. 25. 

My soul, take this sweet scripture for thy motto, not 
only this day, but every day; for every day’s walk should 
be the same with Jesus, by the Spirit. And surely, my 
soul, if Jesus really, truly, dwells in thee, he will mani¬ 
fest that he is at home, by ruling in thee. It is blessed, 
and gracious, and edifying, when out of the abundance 
of the heart the mouth speaketh, and like the spouse, 
the lips drop as the honeycomb, sweetly of Jesus. But 
the life of Jesus in the soul consisteth not in talking only 
of Jesus, but walking in him, and walking with him. 
But, my soul, how wilt thou accomplish these things, 
carrying about with thee, as thou dost daily, a body of sin 
and death? There is but one plan, and that a simple 
plan, mortifying, indeed, to the pride of human nature, 
but giving glory to Jesus ! Art thou truly content to 
be mortified, so that Jesus be glorified ? If so, this is 
the only way the apostle hath marked. They, and they 
only, that live in the Spirit, will walk in the Spirit. The 
same grace which teacheth thee of Jesus, must give to 
thee power in Jesus. As long as Jesus is in view, looked 
to, and lived upon, all the blessed effects of the grace 
from Jesus will follow, as sure as the rays of light diffuse 
their brightness when the sun is risen. If, my soul, thou 
goest forth in a firm dependence upon Jesus’s strength, 
that strength will be assuredly perfected in thy weak¬ 
ness ; but if Jesus be lost sight of, and a fancied strength 
in thyself supply the place, this defect in faith will bring 
forth a defect in practice. My soul, learn to exercise 
an holy jealousy over thyself; for after Jesus is once 
truly known, all thy danger begins at this place: so 
that the great secret is, to live out of self, upon his ful¬ 
ness ; to do nothing but in his strength: to propose 



MAY 15. 


159 


nothing but for his glory ; and in every step you take 
in the whole walk of life, to make Jesus every thing, 
and depend upon him in every thing; and this is the way 
to find both security and comfort. Dear Lord! do thou 
enable a poor worm thus to live, by living in thee: and 
then, sure I am, I shall be happy, by walking in thee. 

Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the 
hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the 
hand of thy God .—Isaiah lxii. 3. 

It is very easy to conceive how the Lord of hosts in 
the day of salvation becomes for a crown of glory and for 
a diadem of beauty unto his people, as the prophet hath 
said, Isaiah xxviii. 5. But that the church, and every indi¬ 
vidual redeemed of the church, shall be the Lord’s crown 
and diadem; oh, the wonders of grace ! Pause, my soul, 
over this sweet scripture, and take to thyself the blessed¬ 
ness of it. What a variety of images and similitudes thy 
God hath made use of, to manifest how highly he prizeth 
his redeemed ! “ Yea, he loveth the people, (said one of 
old,) all his saints are in thy hand.” He calleth them 
jewels, precious stones, his treasure, his chosen, his in¬ 
heritance, his portion, his crown, his diadem ! And what 
a thought is it for thee, my soul, to meditate upon, that 
though in thyself thou art nothing, yet, considered in 
Jesus, thou art all this and more ; polished, made come¬ 
ly, and glorious, from the comeliness put upon thee, and 
the glory of Jesus. See then, my soul, the vast mercy 
in Jesus ! A worthless worm made dear to God ! How 
infinitely precious and dear should God in Christ be to 
thee ! Let this encourage thee, then, at all times to 
come to him. Thou art giving glory to thy God, when 
thou comest to him, to give out of his fulness to thee. 
Jesus wanteth needy creatures to be glorified upon, by 
giving out of his abundance to their necessities: and 
the more he gives, the more is he glorified. Mark that 
also, for thy greater encouragement to come to him. 
The more thou art blessed in his fulness, the more 
blessed he is in imparting it; so that while thou art his 
crown of glory, he is glorified in thy redemption. And 
while thou crownest Jesus’s head, in ascribing all the 



160 


MAY 16. 


glory of thy salvation unto him, he condescends to 
make thee a crown of glory in his hand, as a token that 
thou art his, both by purchase of his blood, the gift of 
his Father, and the conquest of his grace. Hallelujah! 


And he that had been possessed with the 
devil, prayed him that he might be with him. 
Howbeit, Jesus suffered him not, but saith 
unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them 
how great things the Lord hath done for thee. 

Mark v. 18, 19. 

Mark this, my soul, and especially when at any time thy 
Jesus is so graciously revealing himself to thee, in a way 
of love, that thou art longing to be absent from the body, 
that thou mayst be present with the Lord ; think, then, 
of what Jesus said to this poor man. The thought of 
being made instrumental in the hand of the Lord in call¬ 
ing sinners to Jesus, made holy Paul willing to wait in a 
sinful world, and put off his own happiness. Precious 
frame of mind ! Paul knew also, that if the Lord housed 
his children from the lions’ dens and from the mountains 
of leopards, as soon as he had brought them tffthe know¬ 
ledge of himself, then, in this case, Jesus would have no 
church in the wilderness. The holy seed would not be 
found amidst the tares of the earth. Blessed Lord ! give 
grace to every exercised child of thine to think of this; 
that when, under the various trials with which thy wisdom 
and love seeth fit to try their graces, they long to be at 
home with thee, and are sending forth the cry of the soul 
for dismission,they may hear thy voice speaking as to this 
poor man, “ Go home to thy friends, and tell them how 
great things the Lord hath done for thee.” But pause, 
my soul t Is this thy case ? Hath Jesus done great things 
for thee, and art thou proclaiming it abroad to call others 
to partake ? Suppose one from the throng was to ask 
thee, What is thy Beloved more than another beloved ? 
What would be thy answer? Wouldst thou say, how 
he hath blest thee in health, or wealth, or worldly suc¬ 
cess, or prosperity; in friends, and relations,and the like? 
And are these all the things, or the chief of them, that 



MAY 17. 


161 


thou couldst speak of? If so, what are these more than 
carnal men can, and do speak of ? The infidel, the Turk, 
the Pagan, can boast as much ! But if thou canst say, 
“ Oh, come hither and hearken, all ye that fear God, and 
I will tell you what he hath done for my soul! I was once 
darkness, and am now light in the Lord ! I was once in 
Satan’s chains, and Jesus hath set me free ! I was once, 
like this poor man,under the possession of sin and Satan; 
but now I sit down at the feet of Jesus, to hear the gra¬ 
cious words which proceed out of his mouth !” Here, 
my soul, this is indeed to tell thy friends how great 
things the Lord hath done for thee. Oh for grace thus 
to proclaim his adorable name while on earth,until Jesus 
comes to take me home to himself, there to sound his 
praise before the whole redeemed church of God for ever! 

I am poor and needy, yet the Lord thinketh 
upon me .—Psalm xl. 17. 

Precious consideration, my soul, under all thine exer¬ 
cises, the Lord, thy Lord, thy Jesus, thinketh upon thee. 
Wherefore should I faint, then, under any burden ? 
Surely I may say, as Hagar did at the well, Thou, God, 
seest me ! Surely I may give my God, my Saviour, this 
name, as she did ; for she said, “Have I also here looked 
after him that seeth me ?” Yes, however unconscious my 
poor heart is of the blessed truth, yet a very blessed truth 
it is, while I am looking after Jesus, he is before-hand, 
thinking and looking upon me. Precious Lamb of God! 
I will remember my poverty no more : that is, I will re¬ 
member it no more, but as it is made the means in thy 
hand to make me sensible of my need and thy fulness. 
Art thou thinking upon me ? Do I hear thy gracious 
voice saying to me, “ I know the thoughts that I think 
towards you,saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not 
of evil, to give you an expected end!” Oh! then, herein 
I will rejoice. Poor and needy as I am, let me be more 
poor, more needy, so I but see my fulness in Jesus. He 
is thinking of me, providing for me, blessing me. I 
would not be full for the world, or fancy myself so; 
for what room should I then have for Jesus ? What it 
will be in heaven, I know not; in the fulness of happi- 
14 * 



162 


MAY 18. 


ness that is there, though that fulness can only he in 
and from Jesus. But here below, a full state, or a sup¬ 
posed full state, would be a wretched state. No, let 
me be poor and needy, empty and in want, wretched 
and helpless, in myself; for then I am sure my Jesus 
will be most precious. Mark it down then, my soul, 
this day, and wear it about thine heart as a pleasing con¬ 
sideration—When thou feelest thy need and poverty 
most, the Lord thy Jesus thinketh upon thee. 


The flower of the field .—Psalm ciii. 15. 

Do I not behold Jesus here pre-eminently set forth 
above his fellows ? Yes, dear Lord ! thy people, planted 
by thy hand, do indeed flourish as a flower of the field ; 
but never any like thee. Indeed, all their loveliness, 
fragrancy, value, all are only so as derived from thee. 
Never did God our Father plant so lovely a flower, so 
sweet, so fragrant a flower, in the field of his garden, in 
the heavenly Paradise, or the earthly Eden, as when he 
planted thee. Sweet Plant of renown ! aid my medita¬ 
tions this morning to contemplate thee under this inter¬ 
esting view, as the Flower of the field. And first, let me 
behold thee as truly the Flower of the field, because thou 
art altogether of God’s right hand planting, and not of 
man’s. The flower of the field hath no father but God, 
and no mother but the virgin earth. Precious Jesus ! 
thou wert conceived in the human nature wholly by the 
overshadowing of God the Spirit, when thou conde- 
scendest, for our salvation, to be born of the virgin’s 
womb. And let me look at thee, O Lord, under an¬ 
other beautiful illustration of thy nature, as the Flower 
of the field, when I consider the humbleness and lowli¬ 
ness in which thou didst appear. Was there ever a sweet 
flower of the field more hid, more obscured, and when 
brought forward to view, less regarded, than Jesus, of 
whom it was truly said, “He was despised and rejected of 
men ; without form or comeliness, and having n,o beauty 
that we should desire him ?” And is there not another 
thought which ariseth to the mind in the contemplation 
of Jesus as the Flower of the field ? Yes! methinks I 
behold, in the exposure of the flower of the field to the 



MAY 19. 


163 


merciless treading of the foot of the passenger, and to the 
plucking up or destroying by the wild beasts, a striking 
representation of Jesus, who, in the days of his flesh, was 
encompassed by beasts of prey, and trodden down of 
men. Alas ! how many even now in the present hour 
despise thy person, live regardless of thy righteousness, 
have trodden under foot the Son of God, and count the 
blood of the covenant an unholy thing ! But, precious 
Jesus ! give me to behold thee as the sweet Flower of the 
field, open to the view of every traveller, and shedding 
the richness of thy fragrancy, under all the influences 
of thy Spirit, both in the north wind, and the south wind, 
of thy power. Ye travellers to Zion, come, see this 
lovely Flower in the open field of his word, his church, 
his ordinances! Behold the freeness of his bloom, 
his beauty, and odour. He sheds his influences, not 
in a garden enclosed that ye cannot approach, but in 
the open field. Here he stands, as the Plant of re¬ 
nown, which God hath raised up. Oh! come to him 
as the'Balm of Gilead, and the Physician there, that 
the hurt of the daughter of his people may be healed. 


Is this thy kindness to thy friend ? 

2 Sam. xvi. 17. 

My soul, borrow the words of Absalom to Hushai, and 
make application of them this morning to thyself, as if 
Jesus, the best of all friends, were thus reasoning with 
thee. In how many ways hath Jesus manifested his love 
to thee ? Think of this unparalleled love in the various 
ways by which he hath shown it. He engaged as thy 
Surety before that thou knewest any need of one. He 
took thy nature to fulfil all those engagements. He loved 
thee so as to die for thee. He loved thee so as to shed 
his blood for thee. He loved thee so as to wash thee 
from thy sins in his blood. He loveth thee now, so as to 
appear in the presence of God for thee. He loveth thee 
so as to be continually supplying thee with all grace, to 
visit thee, to smile upon thee, to sanctify to thee all his 
appointments for thy good ; and will never give over 
until he hath brought thee where he is, to behold his glo¬ 
ry, and to partake of it. And hast thou not recompensed 



164 


MAY 20. 


this love, this mercy, in a thousand, and ten thousand, 
instances,with ingratitude,with indifference, with forget¬ 
fulness, with disobedience ? Is this thy kindness to thy 
friend? Precious Jesus ! I do remember my faults this 
day. O gracious Lord, grant me from henceforth to 
live wholly to thee ; to be continually eyeing thee, walk¬ 
ing with thee, cleaving to thee, hanging upon thee, and 
to remember thee and thy love more than wine ! Yes, 
thou dearest Redeemer! I would pray for grace to set 
thee always before me, to record in my heart thy mercies, 
and to set up in my heart thy person, to follow thee 
whithersoever thou goest, to watch the steps of Jesus, to 
pursue thee in all the haunts of thy paths, at thy table, 
at thine ordinances, in thy word, in thine house of prayer, 
in thy providences, in thy promises : everywhere, and in 
all things, where Jesus is, there may my soul be; that, 
having nothing to give my Lord to recompense his 
bounty, I may at least by his grace follow him, to bless 
him, and to manifest that all I am, and all I have, is his. 
My soul, see to it, that this is at least thy kindness to thy 
friend! 


Length of days is in her right hand, and in 
her left hand riches and honour.— Frov. iii. 16. 

What is sweetly said of Jesus in one scripture, as the 
Glory-wisdom, is as sweetly sung in another scripture, as 
the Husband of his church and people. Yes, Lord ! thy 
right-hand blessings may well be called length of days, 
for they are life itself, even life everlasting in thee : and 
thy left-hand mercies, which include all temporal good, 
may well merit the name of riches and honour, for thou 
givest to all that love thee to inherit substance, and thou 
fillest all their treasures. There is no substance in any, 
nothing satisfying, nothing substantial, where thou art not. 
Why, then, blessed Jesus, if these things be so, I would 
say to thee, as the church of old did, “ Put thy left hand 
under my head, and let thy right hand embrace me.” 
This will make every thing sweet, and every thing pre¬ 
cious. Even thy left-hand blessings, in the sanctified use 
of afflictions, sorrow, bereaving providences, sickness, 
and the like, even these, being Jesus’s appointments, will 



MAY 21. 


165 


bring with them Jesus’s blessing ; and while thine hand 
is under my. head, how shall these, or aught else, separate 
me from thee ? And concerning thy right-hand blessings, 
in the pardon of my sins, washing me in thy blood, 
clothing me with thy righteousness, justifying me with 
thy salvation, feeding me, sustaining me, leading me, 
comforting me, bringing me on, and bringing me through, 
and b)r and by bringing me home, to glory; that where 
thou art, there I shall be also: O precious Jesus ! grant 
me in this sweet sense to know thee, and to enjoy thee, 
in every thing ; for sure I am, that riches and honour are 
with thee, yea, durable riches and righteousness. 

He found him in a desert land, and in the 
waste howling wilderness.— Deut. xxxii. 10. 

My soul! behold in this view of Israel thy case and 
circumstances. Where did Jesus find thee, when he 
passed by and bade thee live, but cast out, loathsome in 
thy person, and perishing in nature ? Remember, then, it 
was Jesus found thee, and not thou him.* And where 
wast thou born, and new born, and nursed, and educated, 
and trained? Was it not in a desert land, and in the 
waste howling wilderness ? Can any thing be better 
suited to represent thy state by nature ? Is not the heart 
of man like the heath upon the desert, that knoweth not ft 
when good cometh } Is it not like the ground, dry, parch¬ 
ed, and barren ? And as a wilderness is a land not inha¬ 
bited, full of perplexed paths and intricate ways, without 
food, without sustenance, and no springs of water; can 
any thing more strikingly resemble the whole of thy 
spiritual circumstances, when Jesus called thee from 
darkness to light, and from the power of sin and Satan to 
himself the living God ? And as the wilderness is a bar- + 
ren state, so is it dangerous also, by reason of the prowl¬ 
ing beasts of prey which inhabit it. And hath Jesus 
called thee out of it, brought thee to a city of habitation, 
and made himself known unto thee as thy Redeemer ? Oh ! > 
how sweet is it to trace all our spiritual circumstances, 
in the mercy, grace, and favour, Jesus manifested to Israel 
thus beautifully illustrated and explained, and to see. 
and know, and truly rejoice in our unspeakable mercies 



166 


MAY 22. 


in Jesus. My soul! never forget then that it was in the 
wilderness of nature Jesus found thee ! and hath he indeed 
brought thee out of it ? See, then, that thou art now- 
coming up from it leaning upon thy Beloved; hanging 
wholly upon him, cleaving wholly to him, and determin¬ 
ing for thyself, in every remaining period of time, and to 
all eternity, to make Jesus thy all, thy life, thy portion, 
thy shield, and thine exceeding great reward ! 

Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the 
Master .—Luke viii. 49. 

Mark, my soul, in the exercises of the father of this 
child, and in the happy issue of his application to Jesus, 
how very precious it is to wait the Lord’s time for deli¬ 
verance, and always to keep in view that delays are not 
denials,. The poor man’s child was nearly dead when 
he first came to Christ. And had the greatest despatch 
been used, there would have been still much occasion for 
the exercise of faith and patience. But as if this was not 
enough, another poor sufferer comes in the way to stop 
the progress of Jesus in the cure of his daughter, and, 
during this loss of time, his child dies. My soul! here is 
a sweet subject for thee. Do thy fears, and unbelief, and 
doubts, and misgivings, aided by the suggestions of the 
enemy, too often prompt thee to think thy case hopeless; 
and every thing joins the cry, Thy daughter is dead, 
trouble not the Master ? Oh ! think what a precious op¬ 
portunity all these afford thee to follow up the patriarch’s 
faith, and against hope to believe in hope. What cannot 
Jesus accomplish? Though the daughter be dead; 
though Lazarus be four days in the grave ; yet Jesus, who 
is the resurrection and the life, need only speak the word, 
and both live. In like manner, when exercises arise to 
the greatest height, until unbelief suggests all is over, dead 
frames, a dead heart, deadness to all, then is the very time 
to believe, in order to see the glory of God. Strictly and 
properly speaking, Jesus cannot be glorified until the 
stream of all other resources is dried up. Mark it, then, 
my soul, thy time to trust Jesus is, when nothing in na¬ 
ture, but -wholly grace, must trust him. And depend 
upon it, the greater the difficulty for the keeping faith 



MAY 23. 


167 


alive, the greater glory will you give to Jesus in the 
exercise of it, and the greater glory that blessed Saviour 
will receive from you in supplying that faith during the 
dead hour, until the deliverance comes. Hear Jesus’s 
voice in thy instance, be it what it may, as in the case of 
this distressed father, for the issue will be the same: 
Fear not; believe only, and thou shalt live. 


Such an one as Paul the aged .—Philemon 9. 

And what was Paul in the moment here represented ? 
Verily an aged servant of his Master, but not retired from 
the scene of action. Paul, though grown old in the 
Lord’s service, \vas still as hotly engaged as ever, in the 
Lord’s battle. Art thou such an one, my soul, as Paul 
was ? Then learn from hence, that however many, or 
however heavy, former campaigns have been, there is no 
rest for thee this side Jordan, no more than for Paul; no 
winter quarters for the true soldiers of Jesus Christ. 
Until thy Captain undress thee for the grave, the holy 
armour in which he hath clad thee is not to be taken off'. 
Art thou such an one as Paul the aged ? Then, like 
Paul, see that thou art strong in the Lord, and in the 
power of his might. And how sweet the thought! Thy 
Jesus, who hath borne thee from the womb, and carried 
thee from the belly, knows well the burden of thy in¬ 
creasing years, and till the infirmities belonging to them, 
and will carry both thee and them. Yes, my soul, those 
very infirmities which the tenderest-hearted friend some¬ 
times feels impatient at, and even thyself, thou knowest 
not how to bear, Jesus feels, Jesus commiserates, Jesus 
will soften ! He that hath carried all thy sins, carrieth 
also all thy sorows. Doth he not say so ? Even to your 
old age I am he ; and even to hoar hairs I will carry you. 
I have made, and I will bear : even I will carry, and will 
deliver you. Isaiah xlvr. 3, 4. Precious Lamb of God! 
henceforth I cast all my burdens upon thee. Thou hast 
never called thyself, I AM, for nothing. Thou hast indeed 
made me, and new-made me. Thou hast borne all my 
sins in thine own body on the tree. Art thou not both 
the Alpha and the Omega, both the Author and Finisher, 
of my salvation ? Oh, yes ! thou hast been every thing to 



168 


MAY 24. 


me, and for me, from the womb of creation ; borne me 
on eagles’ wings; made me, and new-made me; redeemed 
me, in a thousand redemptions, and been better to me 
than all my fears ! What, indeed, hast thou not done for 
me ? And now, then, being such an one as Paul the aged, 
shall I now doubt, or now fear, when every pain, and 
every cross, and every new assault from sin, and Satan, 
bid me go to Jesus. Oh! for grace, ever to keep in 
view what thou hast said and done, and what thou hast 
promised. Yes! yes! it is enough; Jesus hath said, 
“ Even to your old age I am he. The same I have been, 
the same I will ever be. I will never leave thee, nor for¬ 
sake thee.” Shout, my soul, and cry out Hallelujah! He 
that hath been my first, will be my last'l my strength, my 
song, my salvation for ever! 


Then ceased the work of the house of God. 

Ezra iv. 24. 

Ah! how distressed was Zion, when this decree* took 
place. And yet the history of the church plainly proves 
that the hand of the Lord was in it. My soul! are thine 
exercises sometimes similar ? Doth it seem to thee, as if 
the work of God in thee was at a stand ! nay, as if it 
was totally over ? Pause ! recollect there is a set time to 
favour Zion. Thy Jesus is of one mind, and who can 
turn him ? He is everlastingly pursuing the designs of 
his love. And as Zion was graven upon the palms of 
his hands, and her walls were continually before him, 
when she appeared in her most desolate circumstances ; 
so the work of his grace in the heart of his people doth 
not remit, though, to thy view, all thy promising begin¬ 
nings seem to be blighted, and as it seems in thy appre¬ 
hension, thou findest growing imperfection. And is not 
Jesus, by this very means, emptying thee of self, and all 
the pride of self-attainments ? Is he not preparing thee 
for his own glory, by removing in thee the rubbish of all 
creature confidences ? Remember what is said : When 
the Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory. 
Mark here, that it is the Lord that is to build Zion; 
and it is the Lord’s glory, and not thine, that is to result 
from it. The work of the house of God in thee would 



MAY 25. 


169 


indeed cease, if the work was thine, or thou hadst any 
hand in the performance of it! But the same almighty 
hands which laid the foundation of this house, those 
hands shall also finish it. And by this process, the glo¬ 
rious Builder is teaching thee to cease from thine own 
works, as Jesus, when redemption-work was finished, 
did from his. Precious Lord! is this the cause, and are 
these the lessons thou art teaching me, in the deadness, 
emptyness, and the numberless complaints under which I 
daily groan ? Oh! then, for grace to cease from self, to 
cease from all fancied attainments, and to have my whole 
heart and soul centered in thee, in whom alone is all 
righteousness, grace, work, and fulness. Yes, Lord ! the 
work is thine, the salvation is thine, the glory is thine, 
all is thine ; and all that remains for me, is to be for ever 
giving thee the just praise that is due to thy most holy 
name, content to be nothing, yea less than nothing, that 
the power of Jesus may rest upon me ; for when most 
weak in myself, then am I most strong in the Lord, and 
in the power of his might. 

And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick: 
the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven 
their iniquity .—Isaiah xxxiii. 24. 

What is this ? What happy climate is there where any 
of its inhabitants are exempt from sickness ? Where is 
that salubrious air, that is not impregnated with disease ? 
Surely, nowhere but in heaven. But if the cause of 
sickness be removed; if the envenomed dart of sin be 
taken out, and hath lost its poison, the inhabitant no 
longer complains, for both the evil and the pain is gone. 
My soul, hast thou found this happy spot ? Hath Jesus 
manifested such views of his pardoning grace in the all- 
sufficiency of his blood and righteousness, that thou not 
only art fully convinced and satisfied that his blood 
cleanseth from all sin ; but that thou as fully believest 
and resteth in it, for thy salvation ; and art of the happy 
number of those who believe, to the salvation of the soul ? 
Hath Jesus said to thee, as to the poor man in the gos¬ 
pel, “ Son, be of good cheer, thy sins are forgiven thee ?” 
Surely, then, thou art the inhabitant the Prophet pointed 



170 


MAY 26. 


at, and art no longer sick ; but dwelling in the faith, and 
forgiven thine iniquity. Blessed Physician ! I am no 
longer sick of that dreadful sickness which is unto death, 
in an unrenewed, unpardoned, unregenerated state. But 
I am sick indeed, and fainting, for the fresh manifesta¬ 
tions of thy grace. I am languishing, thou dearest Lord, 
for the renewed visits of thy love, the enjoyment of thy 
person, the larger, fuller, more constant discoveries of 
thyself and thy glory. When wilt thou come unto me ? 
When will the day of everlasting light break in upon my 
soul ? When shall l behold thee among the inhabitants 
of the upper, brighter world ? Oh ! ye spirits of just men 
made perfect; ye who now dwell for ever under the per¬ 
petual smiles of Jesus’s face ; ye who once knew what it 
was to live in the unceasing desire of his renewed visits, 
and how precious all his lovet okens are-—tell him what 
longings my soul now hath, and what faintings I feel, 
for his manifestation. Tell him, I charge you, O ye 
daughters of the New Jerusalem, ye that everlastingly 
behold my Beloved, tell him that I am sick of love ! 


Thou hast ascended on high ; thou hast led 
captivity captive : thou hast received gifts for 
men; yea for the rebellious also, that the 
Lord God might dwell among them. 

Psalm lxviii. 18. 

Sweet view of a risen, ascended, and triumphant Sa¬ 
viour. My soul, ponder over these words, and -while 
meditating upon them, see that thou art ascending after 
thy exalted Head, and partaking in his glories. Jesus is 
he who hath indeed ascended, far above all heavens, 
that he might fill all things. He hath led captivity cap¬ 
tive ; and that not only in conquering all the powers of 
hell, but taking his people that were in captivity out of 
the prison house, and causing them to partake in the fe¬ 
licity of his triumphs. And mark, my soul, what fol¬ 
lows. He hath received gifts for men ; or, as the Apostle 
to the church of Ephesus expresseth the same blessed 
truth, he gave gifts to men, Eph. iv. 8 : and sweetly 
Jesus hath done both ; for he received that he might 



MAY 27. 


171 


give. He needeth not for himself, but it was all for his 
people. He said himself, when speaking to the Father, 

“ that I should give eternal life to as many as thou hast 
given me.” And, my soul, mark another sweet expres¬ 
sion in these words : he hath received gifts for men ; pr, 
as the margins of our old Bibles have it, (and our old Bibles 
are like old gold, precious things,) he hath received gifts 
in the man ; that is, in his human nature, as Mediator to 
give out to his people. See, then, my soul, all thy bless¬ 
ings are treasured up in Him that is, in one and the same 
moment, thy God and thy brother. Oh, glorious thought! 
oh, soul-comforting truth ! Neither is this all. For this 
sweet scripture points out also for whom he hath re¬ 
ceived gifts. It is for men. Not for angels, but for, 
men. Not for holy men neither, but for sinners. Not- 
for Jews only, but for Gentiles. “ Yea,” saith the Holy 
Ghost, as if the Lord the Spirit would lay an emphasis 
upon it, that it might be particularly noticed, “ for the 
rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among 
them.” Oh, matchless grace 1 Oh, world of wonders ! 
Fallen angels passed by, and rebels of men taken into 
favour. Great Father of mercies ! what manner of love 
is this, which thou hast bestowed upon our fallen na¬ 
ture ? Oh, thou risen and exalted Jesus ; send down, 
Lord, thine ascension gifts. Nay, blessed Lord ! come 
down thyself and dwell among us. Set up thy church 
in the earth, in the hearts and souls of thy people, and 
reign and rule there, the Lord of life and glory ! 


Thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, 
saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye 
turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to 
the left .—Isaiah xxx. 2 1. 

My soul! who is this Almighty Teacher out of sight, 
but the Holy Ghost ? And to what way doth he point 
but to Jesus, who is both the way, and the truth, and 
the life ? Art thou ever at a stand ? listen to this voice. 
Art thou about to turn to the right, or left ? See how 
seasonably he is promised to come to direct thee. Con¬ 
descend, thou gracious, matchless Instructer! to guide 



172 


MAY 27. 


me ! I shall not fail then to know the wholesomeness 
of thy teaching, when thou hast opened mine eyes, to 
see the wondrous things of thy law. I shall indeed 
know that thou art my Director, because thou hast said, 
“I the Lord teacheth thee to profit.” And when thy 
word comes not in word only, hut in power, and in thee 
the Holy Ghost, surely I shall know it, in that it not 
only reaches my ear, but will influence my heart; not 
only will instruct and teach me in the way wherein I 
should go, but will incline my feet to walk in it. Yes, 
thou infallible Teacher! I shall know thee to be the 
Spirit of truth, by guiding me into all truth. I shall know 
the voice of the Spirit of Jesus, because it will prompt 
me to follow Jesus. Did I hear a voice, telling me of a 
way of salvation in a righteousness of my own : did I sit 
under a teaching, which sent me to my tears, and repent¬ 
ance, and alms-deeds, by way of recommending me to 
God ; did I listen to the siren song, which told me of 
safety in myself, and my own best endeavours, and that 
Christ would do the rest: or did any teach me, that 
I must not come to Jesus, until that, by some previous 
acts of soul-cleansing in prayers and fastings, I had 
made myself fit: in all these cases, and the like, I should 
know that they could not be the voice behind me, pro¬ 
mised to direct; because it is thy one glorious office, 
thou Holy and Eternal Spirit, to testify of Jesus, and to 
glorify him. When, therefore, I hear the voice behind 
me, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it; and when it 
directs me wholly to Jesus : when every thing in this 
divine teaching enlightens my mind in the knowledge of 
the person, relation, work, power, grace, righteousness, 
and love, of the Lord Jesus Christ: and when that blessed 
voice bids me to come unto him, just as I am, a poor, 
vile, needy, perishing sinner,to venture upon him for life 
and salvation, and how to receive and improve the Lord 
Jesus, in his infinite suitableness to all my necessities; oh, 
how fully verified to my experience is this sweet pro¬ 
mise of my God to my soul! Holy Father! cause me to 
hear this blessed voice, in the daity, hourly, path of my 
pilgrimage: and grant me the spirit of wisdom, and 
revelation, in the knowledge of thy dear Son. 



MAY 28. 


173 


They shall grow as the vine .—Hosea xiv. 7. 

And how doth the vine grow ? Why, in those soils 
that are favourable to it, vines are not erect like trees, 
neither are they fixed, as we do our vines, against walls; 
hut the vine creeps along upon the ground, and rests its 
tender stalk and branches upon the nearest prop that will 
stay it. And, my soul, is it not so with the believer that 
wholly leans upon Jesus, and throws the arms of faith 
wholly upon Him, as the staff, and stay, and support of 
all confidence ? And there is another property of the 
vine which carries with it a striking resemblance to the 
believer,namely, the tenderness of its nature, and danger 
to which it is exposed. How very weak, and poor, and 
frail, and helpless, is the child of God ? What can a be¬ 
liever perform in himself! And what an host of foes is 
he exposed to ! Corruption within, and the enemy on 
every side, makes his case truly like the vine, exposed 
to the w'ild beast, and nipping winds, and storms, which 
every moment threaten to destroy it. And there is a 
third particularity by which both are known. While 
flourishing, to what an extensive length will the vine 
throw out her branches, and what an abundance of fruit 
will it bear! And doth not the believer in this sense 
grow as the vine, when, from being ingrafted in Jesus, 
and nourished by him, and from him, his fruit being 
found, sends forth the graces and fruits of the Spirit, 
and brings forth some thirty, some sixty, some an hun¬ 
dred fold ? And, to mention no more, what a likeness is 
there between the dry unpromising stick of the vine, 
and the lifeless and unpromising appearance of the be¬ 
liever! As Jesus himself, when upon earth, was like a 
root out of a dry ground, so all his followers now are men 
everywhere wondered at. Precious Jesus! thou glorious 
Vine of thy church ! cause me to be so united to thee, as 
a branch in thee, the one heavenly Plant thy Father hath 
planted, that in thee my fruit may be found ; that I may 
be perpetually receiving fresh communications from 
thee, and living upon thee, and to thee, and rejoicing in 
thee, the Source and Fountain of all that is gracious 
here, and the everlasting Spring of glory, happiness, 
and joy, that shall be hereafter. 


15 * 



174 


MAY 29. 


As by the offence of one, judgment came 
upon all men to condemnation; even so, by 
the righteousness of one, the free gift came 
upon all men unto justification of life. 

Romans v. 18. 

Concerning the ruin in which thou art involved in 
Adam, surely, my soul, thou knowest and feelest it from 
day to day. No one can persuade thee out of this. 
Thou art as much concerned in the sin, and consequently 
implicated in the punishment, of the first man’s trans¬ 
gression, as if thou hadst been (and which indeed as thy 
root and head thou really wert) in the garden with him 
when he did it. And thou feelest the same disposition to 
sin, the same rebellion in thy very nature. So that most 
fully and freely dost thou subscribe to the rights of God’s 
judgment, that condemnation cometh upon all men, be¬ 
cause all have sinned. Now then see, my soul, whether, 

■ through the same Almighty Teacher who convinced thee 
of sin, thou art convinced also of the righteousness of 
Jesus, and art as fully and as truty interested in all that 
belongs unto him. Now as Adam and his seed are one 
in sin and its just consequences, so equally Christ and 
his seed, in the eye of God’s law and justice, are one in 
Christ’s righteousness. Remember, my soul, (and it is a 
great point to remember,) Jesus is never spoken of in 
Scripture as a single Person, and as the Christ of God, 
but as the Covenant Head. He is as much the head, the 
root, the common stock of all his spiritual seed, as Adam 
was the head, and root, and stock, of all his natural 
seed. So then, as Adam’s sin is the sin of all his child¬ 
ren, because they are his children ; even so the right¬ 
eousness of Christ, the second Adam so called, is the 
righteousness of all his children, because they are his 
children. This is so plain a truth, that it can need no 
further argument. The next point now is, in order to 
enjoy all the comfort and blessedness which ariseth out 
of this precious doctrine, that thou shouldst be able, 
my soul, to prove that thou art of Christ’s seed. Very 
fully thou provest from day to day, by the remains of in¬ 
dwelling corruption that ariseth within, that thou art of 
the stock of the first Adam : how will thou prove thy re- 


MAY 30. 


176 


lationship to the second ? For, as upon the presumption 
I had not sprung from the stock of Adam, and none of 
his blood was running in my veins, I should not have 
partaken of his sin, or been subject to his punishment; 
so equally evident it is, that if I am not born again and 
belong to the seed of Christ, I am not interested in Him 
or his righteousness. Blessed be God ! the relationship 
with Jesus, as the glorious Head and Mediator of his 
people, is as easily to be proved as the relationship with 
Adam. God promised to pour out of his Spirit upon 
Christ’s seed, Isaiah xliv. 3, 4, 5. Hast thou then, my 
soul, the spirit of Christ, as thou hast the nature of 
Adam ? Is Jesus precious, more precious than gold—his 
salvation dear—his righteousness thy only confidence ? 

Canst thou, and dost thou, say with one of old, this is 
all my salvation, and all my desire ? Is He whom the 
Father delighteth in, thy delight—he that is the desire of 
all nations, thy desire ? If these and the like testimonies 
are in thy experience, my soul, what greater evidences 
dost thou need, to manifest thy relationship to thy Jesus, 
as thy corruptions prove thee allied to the old nature? » 

See then, my soul, that thou foldest up this soul-reviving 
truth for thy bosom, and earnest it about with thee daily 
wherever thou goest; so will Jesus be thy hope and 
thy portion for ever. 

Renewing of the Holy Ghost, which he shed 
on us abundantly, through Jesus Christ our 
Saviour .—Titus iii. 5, 6. 

Precious office of the Spirit! Condescend, great God, 
to grant it me this morning ! O, renew my soul with all 
thy sweet revivals, after a night of sleep, as thou renew- 
est the face of the earth! O, send forth, I beseech 
thee, Lord, all thy graces, as suited to my necessities, 
and the Redeemer’s glory, and let it be most abundantly 
shed abroad, through all the faculties of my soul, through 
Jesus Christ my Saviour. Pause, my soul, over the 
blessed prospect, and having now pleaded in Jesus’s 
name for the mercy, act forth upon thy God in his pro¬ 
mises. Is not every morning a renewing of the Holy t 
Ghost ? Is it not said concerning the productions of the 



176 


MAY 31. 


earth, that God “ sendeth forth his Spirit, and they are 
created, and thou renewest the face of the earth ?” See 
what an evidence the earth gives in this lovely season, in 
the fruits, and plants, and verdure all around. And are 
the saints of Jesus of a less sweet-smelling savour, when 
perfumed as they are with the everlasting odour of Jesus’s 
never-failing righteousness ? Do the fields, when renewed 
by the sun of the morning, look gay and lovely, and 
after the dew or the refreshing shower give out their 
odour, perfuming the air with their fragrancy; and shall 
not the saints of God, when the Sun of righteousness 
ariseth upon them, with healing in his wings, send forth 
all the blessed effects of that presence which revives the 
grace Jesus hath planted, and calls forth into exercise 
the faith he hath given ? Shall not the showers of his 
love, when he comes down in them as rain upon the 
mown grass, and the dews of the Holy Ghost’s renewings, 
revive all the languishing frames of the soul, and cause 
even the desert to blossom abundantly, and to rejoice 
with joy and singing ? Yes, yes, thou blessed Lord ! me- 
thinks I feel thy sweet and gracious renewings ! my very 
heart is refreshed in the thought! Under thy influence I 
will look up and wait the coming of Jesus. He is near. 
He comes. I hear him say, “ Rise up, my beloved, and 
come away: for lo, the winter is past, the rain is over 
and gone, the flow r ers appear on the earth, the time of 
the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle 
is heard in our land.” 


And Jesus came and spake unto them, say¬ 
ing, All power is given unto me in heaven and 
in earth.— Matt, xxviii. 18. 

Hail then, thou Sovereign Lord of all! I have lately 
been following thee in sw r eet and solemn meditation 
through the seasons of thy humiliation; now let me be¬ 
hold thee on thy throne. And here I am called upon to 
contemplate my Lord and my God as possessing universal 
dominion. Ponder, my soul, the vast extent. Thy 
Jesus, as God, as one with the Father, possesseth in 
common W'ith him all power from everlasting. This is 
his, as God, essentially so ; not given to him, for by na- 



MAY 31. 


177 


tare it is his, being “ one with, the Father, over all, God 
blessed for ever—Amen,” said Paul ; so let it be, so shall 
it be. And so say I, and so saith all the church : Amen, 
Amen. But what thy Jesus saith here, in these blessed 
words, is of a power given to him ; and that is a power 
as the Head of his church and people. And although 
had he not been God, one with the Father, he never 
could have been suited for the exercise of this power; 
(for unless he had been the mighty God, how should he 
have been the mighty Redeemer?) yet being God, and 
both God and man, it is precious to consider the power 
that is given to the Lord Jesus as Jesus, the Head over 
all things to the.church, which is his body, the fulness of 
Him that filleth all in all. Here then, my soul, let thy 
thoughts take wing this morning. Behold thy Jesus the 
Head over all principality and power. See him, by 
virtue of his almighty Godhead, exercising and giving 
energy to the fulness of his power as Mediator; and in 
this view conceive, if it be possible, to what an extent 
thy Jesus is unceasingly exercising his power for the 
everlasting benefit of his church and people. All power 
in heaven; not only among the highest order of created 
beings, angels and archangels, but a power with God the 
Father to prevail for the eternal salvation of all his re¬ 
deemed. He left it as a record how he exerciseth this 
power, when he said before his departure, “ Father, I will 
that they whom thou hast given me, be with me where I 
am, to behold thy glory.” And he hath power to send 
the Holy Ghost to all his people. He said himself, be¬ 
fore he went away, “ If I go not away, the Comforter will 
not come ; but if I depart I will send him unto you.” 
Here then, my soul, here let thy thoughts be directed, to 
meditate upon the fulness and extensiveness of that power 
which thy Jesus possesseth in heaven. Well may it be 
said that he hath the keys of heaven, when he hath all 
power with the Father and with the Spirit. And well 
may it be said that he hath the keys of hell also, when 
all things in heaven and earth, and under the earth, are 
subject to his command. And hath he not power then, 
my soul, suited to answer every want of thine, and of all 
his church and people? Hath he not power over all 
flesh, to give eternal life to as many as the Father hath 


178 


JUNE 1. 


given him? Wilt thou complain,shall the church com¬ 
plain of any want, while Jesus is upon the throne ? Art 
thou poor, is the church poor, weak, helpless, needy, 
guilty, polluted, oppressed, exercised ? What of all 
these, and ten thousand other situations, while Jesus 
lives, and hath all power? Nay, is it not so much the 
better that the people of Jesus are what they are, that 
they may be the better suited for his glory ; and that 
their wants may give occasion for the supplies of his 
grace ? Hail! thou Almighty Sovereign ! now methinks 
I would be always poor, always needy, always feeling 
my nothingness, that all these may constrain me to come 
to thee : so that every day’s necessities may afTord a 
fresh occasion to crown thee Lord of all, in a day of 
grace, until I come to crown thee, with the whole 
church, the everlasting Lord of all in heaven, to the 
glory of God the Father. Amen. 


JUNE. 

The Lord said unto my Lord .—Psalm cx. 1. 

Some have called this Psalm, David's Creed. Certain 
it is* that there is scarce an article of a true believer’s 
faith, but what is in it. My soul, look through it this 
morning, if thou hast time, and see whether it is thy 
creed. If not, look at this precious portion of it, and 
ask of the Holy Ghost to teach thee the blessed things 
contained in it. The Lord said unto my Lord : that is 
Jehovah said unto my Adonai. Observe, my soul, that 
here, as in many other parts of the Bible, one of these 
words Lord is in capital letters, the other in small cha¬ 
racters. This no doubt was done by the translators, by 
way of telling the English reader that the two words in 
the original Hebrew are not the same. They had no 
better method of explaining the difference. But by using 
different sized letters, they meant to say that there is a 
difference, and the difference seems to be this : the word 
Lord, whenever used in the Bible in capital letters, sig¬ 
nifies Jehovah ; Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; not as a 
name of office in the work of redemption, but as inti¬ 
mating his own glorious incommunicable essence. The 



JUNE 2. 


179 


word Lord in small letters, Adonai, is very frequently 
(as in this Psalm) applied to Christ in this his gracious 
office as the Christ of God and of his people. And a 
most sweet and precious name it is. It signifies, in a 
double meaning, first, his own personal authority and 
power ; and, secondly, that power as exerted and called 
forth into action for his redeemed. Look at thy Jesus, 
my soul, as thy Adonai this day, and every day; and a 
thousand sweet and precious blessings such a view of 
Him, as a ruler , and a support , and a sustainer , will open 
to thy meditation. Yes, all-lovely, all-powerful, all-gra¬ 
cious Adonai! thou art my Adonai! In this thy name, 
which is as ointment poured forth, would I contemplate 
thee. In this thy name would l rejoice all the day, and 
in thy righteousness would I be exalted. 


Living waters shall go out from Jerusalem ; 
half of them toward the former sea, and half 
of them toward the hinder sea : in summer and 
in winter shall it be.— Zech. xiv. 8. 

My soul! was not this fulfilled in part when the gospel 
went forth from Jerusalem ? And is it not now fulfilling, 
while the same blessed gospel is going forth from sea to 
sea, and from the river even unto the ends of the earth ? 
Surely neither the summer’s drought, nor the winter’s 
frost, shall dry up or congeal those living waters. But, 
my soul, hast thou asked of Jesus, as the woman of Sa¬ 
maria did in the moment of Jesus’s promise for those 
living waters ? Oh ! if thou knowest, my soul, this gift 
of God, and wilt daily, hourly, ask of him, both in 
summer and in winter, he will give thee these living 
waters. Oh, contemplate their property, and then, my 
soul, ask and receive, that thy joy may be full. Jesus 
-himself is this well of living waters ; and wherever he 
comes, like the waters in Ezekiel’s vision, he gives life, 
and quickens sinners dead in trespasses and sins. Also, 
Jesus in those streams maintains the life he hath first 
given. Moreover, Jesus not^nly maintains, but revives, 
and renews them, again and again, when the graces of 
his people languish. Again, these living waters of thy 



180 


JUNE 3. 


Jesus are always running : here is nothing stagnate, but 
always flowing. Lastly, into whatever heart Jesus gives 
them, they shall be as he hath promised, a well of water 
springing up to everlasting life. Are these things so ? 
And have the saints in all ages, and under all dispensa¬ 
tions of the church, both in the Old Testament and in 
the New, been thus supplied ? Is it indeed He, my be¬ 
loved, who is the same yesterday, and to-day, and for 
ever, that thus hath supplied, and is supplying, and 
ever will supply all ? Is it thou, O thou precious 
Lamb of God ! that art in the midst of the throne, lead¬ 
ing the church above to fountains of living waters, and 
becoming the same to the church below? Wilt thou 
not give of thy fulness to satisfy my thirsty soul in this 
dry and barren land, where no water is ? Yes, yes, my 
soul, exult with the church of old, for thy Jesus is the 
same: a fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, 
and streams from Lebanon, is my beloved! 


In his favour is life .—Psalm xxx. 5. 

Oh for grace to keep this always in view ! for then, 
thou dear Lord, I should never consider my dead frames, 
or dead feelings, since I well know that thou ever bearest 
favour and good will towards thy people. For if thy 
providences frown or seem to frown, do I not know that 
behind that aspect thy countenance is the same, always 
gracious, always favourable, and that thou art invariably 
pursuing the everlasting happiness of thy people ? Let 
it please thee, my Lord, to grant me this morning such 
views of thy favour, that I may henceforth trace it in 
every thing. Was it not this favour that first opened a 
source of salvation ? Was it not this favour that brought 
me into a participation of it ? Was it not this favour that 
begat me to the knowledge of it—that quickened me to 
an enjoyment of it—that opened the communication of it, 
by which thy grace became imparted to my soul ? And 
was it not the same favour that kept alive the incorruptible 
spark, and maintained it through all the attempts of sin, 
and the world, and the powers of darkness, to extinguish 
it ? Nay, blessed Jesus! what is it now but thy favour that 
secures me in thy love, and gives me all the inexpressible 



JUNE 4. 


181 


felicity, of mercy, pardon, and peace now, and everlast¬ 
ing glory hereafter ? And is not thy favour, then, better 
than life? Is it not more precious than rubies? Can 
there be aught desirable like it ? Truly, Lord, in thee 
and thy favour I have life, for thou art both my light and 
my life: my heart trusteth in thee and I am helped. 
Remember me then, O Lord, with the favour that thou 
bearest unto thy people ; O visit me with thy salvation ! 


Awake, O north wind, and come, thou south, 
blow upon my garden .—Song iv. 16. 

Are these the words of my Lord ? Yes, surely, they 
can be no other; for none but Jesus can send the Holy 
Ghost to his church and people. And, beside, none can 
call the church my garden , but he that is the rightful 
owner of it. Surely, Lord, it is thine, both by thy Fa¬ 
ther’s gifts, and by thy choice, and by thy purchase, and 
by the conquests of thy grace, and by the voluntary sur¬ 
render of thy people, when thou hast made them willing 
in the day of thy power. And dost thou call, then, both 
the north wind and the south, thou dearest Lord, to blow 
upon my soul ? Dost thou command all suited influences 
of thy grace to visit me, that one may search, and an¬ 
other warm, my affections, and call thine own gifts and 
graces forth in exercise upon thy glorious Person, and thy 
glorious work ? O, come then, thou Holy Spirit, with 
all thy sweet and precious offices ! Come, Lord, to con¬ 
vince and comfort me, to humble and direct me, to chill 
my affections to the world, and to warm them towards 
the Lord Jesus! Come, thou holy, gracious, Almighty, 
Quickener, Reviver, Restorer, and Glorifier, of my God 
and Saviour! Oh if thou wilt make my soul like the 
chariots of Amminadib, and cause those graces thou hast 
planted there to go forth in a way of love, and desire, 
and faith, and expectation, and hope, upon the Person 
and glory of Him whom my soul loveth, then shall I cry 
out, with the church, and say, “ Let my beloved come 
into his garden, and eat of his pleasant fruits!” 


s* 




16 




182 


JUNE 5. 


Have ye received the Holy Ghost? 

Acts xix. 2. 

My soul, ponder ovea: the solemn question again and 
again, and then see what answer thou canst give to a point 
so infinitely interesting and important. The Holy Spirit 
is clearly known by the exercise of his blessed offices in 
every heart where he abides,and where he is the glorious 
inhabitant. He comes in Jesus’s name as an Ambassador, 
to propose to the sinner a rich and precious Saviour. He 
comes as an Almighty Teacher: and this condescending 
office he graciously exerciseth, in convincing of sin, and 
convincing of the righteousness of Jesus. He comes as 
an Advocate ; and by his pleading the cause of a poor 
sinner’s own necessities, and the cause of a rich Saviour’s 
willingness and ability to supply all these necessities, he 
manifests himself a most powerful advocate, when, by 
his constraining grace, he makes the poor sinner willing 
in the day of his power. He comes as an Enlightener of 
the dark and untutored mind of the sinner. And this he 
doth most effectually, when, by shining in the heart, he 
gives the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in 
the face of Jesus Christ. Most gloriously he shines upon 
the soul, when, by the ministry of his blessed word and 
by the influences of his divine grace, he leads the mind 
forth to the contemplation and love of the person, blood, 
and righteousness, of the Lord Jesus Christ. He comes 
as a Witness also to testify of Jesus. And this sweet 
office is manifested in the conscience, when at any time 
he shows sin to be exceedingly sinful; and that nothing 
but the blood of Jesus can cleanse from it. And his wit¬ 
ness in the soul is proved to the fullest demonstration, 
when he powerfully brings the guilty conscience under 
so deep a sense of sin, and so alarmingly concerned for 
the consequence of it, that nothing will satisfy, until 
Jesus is revealed and brought home to the heart, in all 
the beauties of his Person, and the fulness and suita¬ 
bleness of his salvation, and formed there the hope of 
glory. He comes also as a Comforter: and oh how 
sweetly and fully doth he manifest both the power of 
his Godhead, and the sovereignty and grace of this 
character, when by his consolations, as he opens and 


JUNE G. 


183 




explains them, and makes application of them as they 
are in Jesus, he revives the drooping spirit, relieves the 
depressed spirit; animateth, refresheth, sanctifieth, the 
whole heart, and soul, and mind, and gives a joy and 
peace in believing, abounding in hope by the power of 
the Holy Ghost. My soul, what sayest thou now to 
the question? Hast thou received the Holy Ghost? 
Surely I do know thee, thou gracious God the Spirit, 
by those sweet tokens of thy covenant office and cha¬ 
racter. Lord, I pray thee, be ever with me, and, agree¬ 
ably to Jesus’s gracious promise, abide with me for 
ever. Oh may I never grieve thee, by whom my soul 
is sealed in Jesus, to the day of eternal redemption. 

Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us 
with benefits .—Psalm lxviii. 19. 

Behold, my soul, what a sweet portion for thy morn¬ 
ing meditation is here. See what thou canst gather out 
of it, to furnish new songs of praise to the bountiful Lord 
whose mercies it records. Blessed Spirit! I beseech thee 
open these precious words of thine to my view. Blessed 
be the Lord, it saith, Yea, so say I! blessed be Jeho¬ 
vah; blessed be the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, for 
they are the united source of all my blessings. And 
blessed be the majesty and glory of God for ever, who 
daily loadeth his people with benefits. Count over, my 
soul, each of these blessed expressions, for every word is 
weighty and ponderous. God not only gives blessings, 
but daily. His mercies are constant as the morning, 
unceasing, continual; strength suited to the day, and 
mercies adapted to every moment. Faith needs no hoards, 
no banking-houses: nay, it is faith’s precious property, 
and her blessedness, to be always empty, in order that 
the sweetness of being filled by Jesus may be the better 
known. But this is not all. God not only daily gives 
out blessings, but loadeth his people with benefits. He 
openeth the windows of heaven, and poureth out of his 
grace in such fulness, that there is not room to receive. 
He makes their souls like the heart of Elihu, as it is said 
of him, for want of vent, like new bottles he was ready to 
burst. So Jesus poureth out of his love into the souls of 



184 


JUNE 7. 


his redeemed, that they are overpowered with his good¬ 
ness. Knowest thou not, my soul, somewhat of this ? 
Oh, yes ! I trust I do. Why then, blessed be God, who 
daily loadeth me with his benefits. And what endears all 
this in a ten thousand times greater degree, is the assu¬ 
rance that the whole is in a way of salvation. So saith this 
sweet scripture. He that loadeth us with benefits is the 
God of our salvation. He that is our God, even he is the 
God of our salvation. Oh, precious, blessed considera¬ 
tion ! then are these blessings everlastingly secured: for 
He that now daily loadeth us with benefits, will un- 
weariedly do the same to all eternity. He is not only the 
portion of his people now, but will be so for ever. He 
not only gives strength to the day, but will be himself our 
strength to all eternity. And mark it down, my soul, as 
the most blessed part of those daily benefits. He that 
thus loadeth the soul with all the benefits of covenant 
blessing, in the grace, mercy, favour, love, blood, right¬ 
eousness, and all the sweet tokens of redemption in Jesus, 
signs and seals every one of them in his dear name : and 
as he said to Abraham, so he saith to all Abraham’s 
seed, “ Fear not, I am thy shield, and thine exceeding 
great reward.” Shout, then, my soul, and henceforth let 
this be thy morning song: “ Blessed be the Lord, who 
daily loadeth thee with benefits.” 

If there be a messenger with him, an Inter¬ 
preter, one among a thousand, to show unto 
man his uprightness; then he is gracious unto 
him, and saith, Deliver him from going down 
to the pit, I have found a ransom. 

Job xxxiii. 23, 24. 

My soul, how precious are those views in looking back 
upon where the first discoveries of grace were made. 
Moses never forgot the first visions of God at the bush; 
neither did Jacob outlive the remembrance of the first 
Bethel visit of a God in Christ to his soul; and why should 
I ? Hast thou not known this Messenger, this Interpreter, 
one among a thousand to show unto thee God’s upright¬ 
ness ? Oh, yes! Jesus, by his Spirit, hath shown to me 



JUNE 8. 


186 


that my God is righteous in all his ways, and holy in his 
works. When by the blessed discoveries which have 
been made to me in his word, by his ordinances, provi¬ 
dences, judgments, mercies, like the poor creatures de¬ 
scribed in this sweet scripture, when reduced to a mere 
skeleton, by reason of soul-sickness, driven out of ail 
resources in myself, and utterly despairing of ever seeing 
the face of God in glory, by any creature attempts, and 
by all creature righteousness: oh, then it was, thou 
blessed, glorious Messenger of thine own covenant, thou 
faithful Interpreter of the mind and will of Jehovah, then 
it was I was led to see the freeness, fulness, suitableness, 
and all-sufficiency of a Redeemer’s righteousness, and to 
cast my poor, defenceless, naked, trembling soul, upon 
the rich, powerful, and altogether sufficient salvation of 
thee, my God and Saviour ! Oh ! how hast thou sweetly 
and mercifully explained to me the secrets of covenant 
mercies, the glories of thy person, and the greatness of 
thy finished work. And now at every step I take, at 
every portion of thy blessed word I read, when my mind 
feels the remains of indwelling corruption, and all the 
lurkings of the enemy’s suggestions within; then, then 
it is I hear the Father’s gracious voice: “ Deliver him 
from going down to the pit, I have found a ransom.” 
Yes, precious Jesus, thou art my ransom, and my right¬ 
eousness for ever! 


A red heifer without spot, wherein is no 
blemish, and upon which never came yoke. 
And ye shall giVe her unto Eleazar the priest, 
that he may bring her forth without the camp, 
and one shall slay her before his face. 

Numbers xix. 2, 3. 

I remember well it is said of our Lord Jesus, that, in 
order to sanctify the people with his own blood, he suf¬ 
fered without the gate. But though I clearly apprehend 
that the law, with all its sacrifices, was but a shadow of 
good things to come, and the body was Christ, yet, had 
not the Holy Ghost been graciously pleased to illustrate 
and explain, by other scriptures, somewhat either direct, 
16 * 



18(5 


JUNE 9. 


or by allusion, in reference to Jesus, I should have over¬ 
looked how, in many striking points, Jesus is here set 
forth in this type. Surely, Lord, thy spotless purity was 
beautifully represented in the spotless heifer, here ap¬ 
pointed for sacrifice. And the very rare colour of a red 
heifer plainly testified the singularity of thy sacrifice. 
Adam himself was so called, as a token of the red earth 
from whence he was taken. And when Jesus, as the Son 
of man, came, to do away all the effects of Adam’s sin and 
transgression, he manifested, by the redness of his appa¬ 
rel and the blood sprinkled upon his garments, the gra¬ 
cious purposes which all implied. But I do not recollect, 
in any other type of my Redeemer, a particularity which 
pointed to the freeness of thy voluntary sacrifice, O thou 
Lamb of God ! as the one here represented, in that this 
heifer was to be one upon which had never come yoke. 
Nothing, Lord, but thine own free sovereign love, and at 
the call of God thy Father, prompted thine infinite mind 
to be the willing sacrifice for poor sinners. There was 
no yoke, no obligation, nothing to compel thee. Lo, I 
come, was thy gracious voice, when neither sacrifice 
nor offering could ransom thy people. O Lord ! let the 
sense of thy freeness in salvation comfort my soul under 
all heart-straitenings in myself, and the consciousness 
that there was no yoke upon thee, Lord, but thine own 
everlasting love, be the sweet constraining yoke on my 
soul, to bind me to thy love, and to thy service for ever. 


I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine 
of the juice of my pomegranate .—Song viii. 2. 

What, my soul, hast thou aught to offer to thy Jesus ? 
Will he accept a present at thine hand ? Yes, Jesus will 
accept those goings forth of his own grace, his own 
gifts, in the exercises of faith, and love, and joy, and 
praise; when, by his own sweet and reviving commu¬ 
nications, he hath called to the north wind, and to the 
south wind, to blow a gracious gale upon my soul, and 
causeth the very graces he himself hath planted in my 
heart to send forth all their powers, in the enjoyment of 
his Person and righteousness. And do not forget, my 
soul, for thine encouragement to this lovely and becom- 



JUNE 10. 


187 


ing frame, these will be more grateful to thy God and 
Saviour than all whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices. 
These will be indeed like spiced wine, and the juice of 
the pomegranate, when those tears of faith, and love, and 
repentance, drop at the mercy-seat, in the contemplation 
of that love of Jesus, which is better than wine. Help 
me, then, thou dear Lord, thus to come to thee. Help 
me, as the poor woman at thy feet did, to shed my tears, 
and to offer thee this spiced wine : and no longer by 
sin, and unbelief, and rebellion, to give thee wine min¬ 
gled with myrrh, as the Jews did at thy crucifixion. 
O God, my Saviour! let it never be said of my soul, 
from neglect and indifference to thee and thy sufferings, 
as thou complainedst of them, “ They gave me also gall 
for my meat, and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to 
drink.” No, precious Lord ! if thou wilt shed abroad 
the influences of thy Spirit in my heart, so as to lead 
out my whole soul in love to thee, in living upon thee, 
in contemplating thy glory, thy suitableness, thine all- 
sufficiency, then will my soul praise thee with joyful 
lips: and then will my beloved say, as to his church 
of old, “Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the honey¬ 
comb ; honey and milk are under thy tongue.” 

My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O 
Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer 
unto thee, and will look up .—Psalm v. 3. 

Sweet thought, my soul, to encourage thee this morn¬ 
ing, that thy God in Christ is a prayer-quickening, a 
prayer-hearing, and a prayer-answering God. Art thou 
dujl,dead, lifeless? one look from Jesus, one influence 
of the Spirit, will kindle desire, and lead thee to the 
mercy-seat, and to the throne of grace. Jesus will do 
more in one moment, to call off thy wandering thoughts, 
to open to thy views his glory,to reveal to thee what thy 
wants are, and to give thee a spirit of prayer suited to 
thy wants and his praise, than all thy laboured attempts, 
without an eye to Jesus, can do forthee for ever. Whence 
is it, my soul, that prayer is ever a burden, but because 
we have lost a sight of Jesus ? Why is it that thou art 
at times so little affected with the remains of indwelling 



188 


JUNE 11. 


corruption, and canst neither rightly value God’s mercies, 
nor be humbled under thy own infirmities ? Is it not 
because thou dost not look up, and behald Jesus in his 
priestly vesture, waiting to be gracious ? Oh, didst thou 
but eye thy God and Saviour under this blessed charac¬ 
ter, how wouldst thou feel the preciousness of his great 
salvation, and haste to unload thyself upon the Lord 
Christ, and cast all thy burden of coldness, deadness, 
and sin, upon Him who is mighty to save ! Come, 
Lord, then, I pray thee, with all thy sweet influences, 
fill my mouth with arguments, and my heart do thou 
warm with love. I know, Lord, I shall surely speed 
this day, this morning, at the mercy-seat, the moment 
thou hast loosed my tongue, and enlarged my heart with 
thy grace. Yes, yes, blessed Jesus, my voice shalt thou 
hear, my voice wilt thou hear in the morning; at the 
dawn of day, before cock-crowing, I will direct my 
prayers to thee, I will send them up to heaven ; and 
through the day, and all the day, and seven times a day, 
will I praise thee, O thou God of my salvation, when 
thou hast caused me to praise thee with joyful lips. 


And my people shall be satisfied with my 
goodness, saith the Lord .—Jeremiah xxxi. 14. 

Examine thine heart, my soul, this morning, and see 
whether this blessed promise is really and truly fulfilled 
in thy experience. Art thou satisfied with Jehovah’s 
goodness? Yes, if so be thou hast so received that 
goodness as manifested and treasured up in the person 
and work of Christ, and art so believing as to be living 
wholly upon it. This is a grand thing to do : and when 
it comes to be strictly inquired into, few, very few, are 
living so wholly upon it, and so completely satisfied with 
it, as to be seeking for no additional satisfaction else¬ 
where. Now, my soul, as there are but few that are so 
fully satisfied with the Lord’s goodness in every thing 
that concerns salvation, both in providence and grace, let 
thy morning thoughts be directed to see whether thou 
art one of that happy few. I will, for the sake of short¬ 
ening the inquiry, take up the subject from this ground : 
that thou art satisfied thou hast an interest in Jesus 



JUNE 12. 


189 


Thou hast a long time since been driven by thy necessi¬ 
ties to Christ as a complete Saviour: and thou art resting 
all thy hopes, joys, and expectations, upon his blood and 
righteousness. I will consider this point as fairly and 
fully determined. Why then, perhaps, my soul, thou 
wilt say, Is not this to be satisfied with Jehovah’s good¬ 
ness ? Alas ! here is the great defect of God’s people ! 
Though resting on this foundation, how often may they 
find their hearts exercised with endless perplexities how 
this grace is to be improved, or how that gift is to be 
employed. And according as it appears to their view 
they have improved the one, or employed the other, their 
peace and comfort is proportioned. My soul! do you 
not see that this is self-satisfaction, and not being satisfied 
with God’s goodness ? This is setting up the comforts 
of Jesus’s graces and Jesus’s gifts above the glorious 
Author of those gifts and graces. To be really satisfied 
with God’s goodness, implies living upon that goodness, 
and that is Christ himself. Living upon Jesus, acting 
faith upon Jesus, perceiving all our fresh springs to be 
in Jesus, and therefore drawing all from him. And, my 
soul, if thou art thus satisfied with God’s goodness, thou 
wilt find it injurious to the comfort and blessedness of 
this life of faith to be ever looking ofF Jesus to any thing 
his grace and goodness worketh in thee,lest in the view 
of the work itself, be it what it may, the source of that 
work is overlooked, and self-satisfaction, instead of 
Christ exalting, should creep into thy soul. In every act, 
my soul, see to it then that all thy satisfaction is in Jesus, 
as the goodness of Jehovah. Lord, fulfil this sweet pro¬ 
mise, and make me satisfied with thy goodness ! 


And confessed that they were strangers and 
pilgrims on the earth.— Heb. xi. 13. 

My soul! hast thou also witnessed this confession be¬ 
fore many witnesses ? See whether thou hast the same 
evidences they had. In the first place, they were led to 
see that here they had no continuing city. Sin, sorrow, 
sickness, death, inhabited this region. Everything said 
to them in that sweet voice of God, Arise ye, and depart, 
for this is not your rest, because it is polluted. What 



190 


JUNE 12. 


sayest thou, my soul, to this first view of the subject ? 
Look at it under another. Hast thou learnt, and so learnt 
as to prize it, the blessedness of that promise, There is a 
rest that remaineth for the people of God ? What sayest 
thou to this also, my soul ? Dost thou see that Jesus is 
that rest; and is he the object of thy desire in rest ? For 
the prophet saith, he is the rest wherewith he will cause the 
weary to rest, and he is their refreshing, Isaiah xxviii. 12. 
Hast thou heard, and welcomed his invitation, “ Come 
unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I 
will give you rest ?” Go one step further in the inquiry. 
Under these convictions of soul, art thou travelling the 
heavenly road, asking the way to Zion with thy face 
thitherward, as a stranger and pilgrim upon earth ? Go 
further yet. Art thou guided as Israel was in the way, 
by the pillar of cloud by day, and guarded by the pillar 
of fire by night? Art thou coming up out of the wil¬ 
derness of this world, leaning upon Jesus ? Advance yet 
farther in the inquiry. While the Holy Ghost as the pillar 
of cloud is going before thee, and thou art resting upon 
Jesus as thy staff and stay, knowest thou God for thy 
father, his word thy guide, his promises thy treasure, his 
ordinances thine inns, not to dwell in, but like the way¬ 
faring-man to tarry but for the night? And dost thou draw 
water with joy out of those wells of salvation ? Pause, my 
soul, as thou seekest answers to these questions. Knowest 
thou the difficulties of a wilderness dispensation; and the 
sweets of those streams from that river which make glad 
the city of God ? Art thou like other travellers, sometimes 
enjoying fine weather when Jesus’s face, his love, his 
mercy, are all in view: and sometimes walking in dark¬ 
ness, when storms of sin and Satan throw clouds over 
the gracious prospect ? More especially, art thou the 
scorn and derision of the carnal ? Do they make thee their 
subject of laughter, and art thou the drunkard’s song ? 
And lastly, to mention no more, knowest thou, my soul, 
what it is sometimes to be discouraged by reason of the 
way, while Satan would prompt thee to go back; but 
sweetly constrained by Jesus’s love, thou art still the 
patient follower of them, who through faith and patience 
inherit the promises ? Hast thou, my soul, these precious 
marks of the stranger and pilgrim upon earth? Oh! then 


JUNE 13. 


191 


remember what is said of them to whom the Holy Ghost 
bears testimony, and by the covenant interest m Jesus 
behold thy vast privilege in the same blessed promise, 
God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he hath 
prepared for them a city. 


The Master is come, and calleth for thee. 

John xi. 28. 

My soul! mark how gracious the Lord is to his people 
in the special and distinguishing tokens of his grace. 
Jesus doth not barely send his gospel to the church, or 
house, or family, but he speaketh by the soft, but power¬ 
ful whispers of his love, to the individual $oul. To thee 
is the word of this salvation sent. Hence the soul who 
feels the sovereignty of his word in the constraining in¬ 
fluences with which it is accompanied, cries out, I shall 
never forget thy word, for by it thou hast quickened me. 
But besides the calls of his grace in his house of prayer, 
in how many ways, and by what a variety of methods, is 
the Lord Jesus calling upon his people. My soul! I hope 
that thou art always upon the look out, and art getting 
to thy watch-tower, to hear what the Lord thy God hath 
to say to thee ; by his word, by his providences, in chas¬ 
tisements, in love, and in all the gracious manifestations 
of his favour. Behold, he saith, I stand at the door and 
knock. So Jesus calleth, and so let my soul hear. Now, 
Lord ! thou art calling me by thy word and providence 
in a way of grace; by and by I shall hear thy voice in 
the hour of death and judgment. And who shall say 
how very powerful, sweet, and gracious,thatcall is, when 
Jesus cometh to take his people home to himself, that 
where he is, there they may be also. “ I hear my Master’s 
voice,” said a highly favoured servant of God in the 
moment of his departure. Perhaps a loud voice, a glo¬ 
rious distinguishable voice, to him that is called, when no 
stander-by is at all conscious of the sound. Hence 
another said, when he was a-dying, “ I shall change my 
place, but not my company/’ Jesus! Master! in that 
hour be it my happiness to say, Let me hear thy voice, 
let me see thy countenance ; for sweet is thy voice, and 
thy countenance is comely. 




192 


JUNE 14. 


Who is this that cometh up from the wilder¬ 
ness, leaning upon her beloved.— Song viii. 5. 

Who is it that asketh this question, my soul ? Is it the 
holy angels, astonished as, they well may be, at the gra¬ 
cious condescension of thy Jesus in the grace and favour 
he hath bestowed upon thee ? Or is it the world at large, 
looking on with amazement at the love of Jesus to his 
chosen ? Is it the Jewish church, amazed that Gentiles 
should be fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and par¬ 
takers of^God’s promise in Christ? Or above all, is it 
Jesus himself, not because he knoweth not the grace he 
hath bestowed, but because he admireth the grace he 
hath given ; and as he did the centurion’s faith, which he 
himself was the author of, he looketh upon it with plea¬ 
sure ? And art thou, my soul, come up from the wilder¬ 
ness of nature, a dry, barren land, where no water of 
life is; from the wilderness of the world, and from all 
the unsatisfying and empty pursuits of it? Art thou 
leaning upon thy Jesus, cleaving to him, hanging upon 
him, strengthening thyself upon him, determining, like 
another Ruth concerning Naomi, where Jesus goeth thou 
wilt go, and where he lodgeth thou wilt lodge ? Is this 
thy conduct; and dost thou rest the whole stress of 
thy present and everlasting happiness upon his glorious 
Person and righteousness ? If so, angels may well look 
on, and cry out, Who is this to whom the Father of all 
mercies hath been so gracious ; to whom Jesus hath ma¬ 
nifested his love, otherwise than he doth to the world; 
and on whom the Spirit hath shed his blessed influence 
to make thee willing in the day of his power? Yes ! 
precious Jesus ! I would come up from every thing near 
and dear in this wilderness state, forget mine own people, 
and my father’s house : I would lean wholly upon thy 
glorious Person, for my acceptance before God; lean 
wholly upon thy righteousness, as all-sufficient for my 
justification ; I would lean upon thy fulness, day by day, 
for the supply of all grace here ; and I would lean solely 
upon the divine efficacy and blessedness of thy blood, to 
cleanse my soul for everlasting fitness for happiness here¬ 
after. Witness for me, ye angels of light, that this is my 
beloved on whom I lean, and in whom I trust, and desire 
to be found in, for time and for eternity. Amen. 


JUNE 15—16. 


193 


Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the chil¬ 
dren of promise.— Gal. iv. 28. 

Mark, my soul, the distinguishing characters of those 
who are the children of promise, and see whether thou 
art of this blessed family. For as the law and the gospel 
are strikingly distinguished from each other, so are the 
children of nature from those of grace. And how is this 
to be known ? Look at the case Paul hath referred to : 
Isaac was the son of Abraham. And the apostle saith, 
that they which are of faith, the same are children of 
Abraham. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s 
seed, and heirs according to the promise. And as Isaac 
was a child of Abraham by promise, not by natural 
power, so believers in Jesus are born, not of blood, nor 
of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of 
God. Hence Paul saith, to Abraham and his seed were 
the promises made. He saith not to seeds, as of many, 
but as of one ; and to thy seed, which is Christ. Pre¬ 
cious truth ! The children of promise are of Jesus ; for 
he himself is the one great promise of the Bible. So 
that from everlasting they are the seed of Christ: their 
being, their well-being, their everlasting being, all are 
folded up in Jesus, as the oak in all its foilage is con¬ 
tained and folded up in the first and original acorn. 
Hence they are spiritually begotten, born, nourished, 
fed, sustained, led, strengthened, and carried on, through 
all the gradations of grace, until grace is consummated 
in the ripeness of their full stature in glory. My soul! 
art thou, as Isaac was, a child of promise ? Oh ! live by 
faith on Jesus, and in Jesus, and see to it, in all thy 
daily, hourly exercises and experiences, that all the pro¬ 
mises of God in Christ Jesus are yea and amen unto the 
glory of God the Father. 

He shall gather the lambs with his arm, and 
carry them in his bosom .—Isaiah xl. 11. 

My soul! mark in this sweet scripture how Jesus is 
described, in not only attending to all the various wants 
of his fold, but to the very method of imparting to their 
several wants in a way corresponding to his own charac- 
17 



194 


JUNE 17. 


ter and their state. In the fold of Jesus, like the sheep- 
fold among men, some are sheep and some are lambs ; 
some of advanced age and some of younger standing. 
Well! where will Jesus put the lambs and the weaklings 
of his fold ? Certainly if there be one place in the heart 
of Jesus softer and more tender than another, there the 
lambs shall lay. And as Jesus himself lay in the bosom 
of his Father, so the lambs of his flock shall lie in his 
bosom. Sweet thought to encourage thee, my soul, and 
all the followers of Christ! Jesus will not thrust out the 
lambs into the dangers of the wilderness, where the 
prowling beasts of prey are, nor expose them to over¬ 
driving, or the speed with which the more mature sheep 
can travel. But he will proportion their burden to their 
back, and their day to their strength. And besides this, 
he will keep them nearer to himself: his arms shall clasp 
them; the warmth of his bosom shall nourish them; if 
they cannot walk, they shall be carried; and when they 
cannot find their way, they shall be led. O thou great 
Shepherd of thy sheep! is it thus thou sweetly dealest 
with thy little ones ? Hence I see then explained, why it 
is that young believers, in the first seasons of their know¬ 
ledge of thee, find so many blessed refreshings, which 
they afterwards do not so sensibly enjoy. Yes, Lord ! it 
is thus thou gatherest the lambs and carriest them in thy 
bosom. And sweetly and seasonably dost thou do all 
this, and in a way which fully proves thy love and com¬ 
passion to the necessities of thy flock. 


He restoreth my soul .—Psalm xxiii. 3. 

Yes, Lord! it is indeed thou that bringest hack the 
strayed sheep ; for as no man ever quickened, so none 
can keep alive, his own soul. It was indeed thy promise, 
and most graciously dost thou fulfil it.—“As a shepherd 
seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his 
sheep, so will I seek out my sheep, and bring again that 
which was driven away.” Ezek. xxxiv. 11 — 16 . My soul! 
mark this trait of character in thy Jesus for thy morning 
meditation. It is well for thee that restoring work, re¬ 
claiming work, reviving work, all is with Jesus; begins 
in him, and is carried on and completed by him, and 



JUNE 18. 


195 


through his grace in thee. And it is well for thee, my 
soul, that though thou so often failest in all things to¬ 
wards thy Jesus, yet he never faileth in his love to thee 
in any thing. Sweet consideration! his love, and not 
thy deserts, becomes the standard for all his tenderness 
to his people. And mark it down, my soul, in strong 
characters, that Jesus’s grace is much shown this way: 
he doth not wait our return, for then we should never 
return at all: neither doth he wait our cry for help, but 
he puts that cry into the soul. Alas ! how often ^ave we 
wandered and gone away, even before that we were sen¬ 
sible of our departure. How blessed is it then to see 
and know that Jesus’s eye is upon us, and that before we 
return to him, he is coming forth to us ! His love, his 
pity, his compassion, are the security of his people’s re¬ 
covery. Yes, Lord ! it is thou that restorest my soul. 
Praises to thy name, for thou doest it all in such a way 
as proves it to be for thy great name’s sake, that thy 
grace comes freely and without upbraiding. “ He re- 
storeth my soul, and leadeth me in the paths of right¬ 
eousness for his name’s sake.” 


To him whom man despiseth ; to Him whom 
the nation abhorreth .—Isaiah xlix. 7. 

My soul! let thy longing eyes be directed to Him this 
day whom man despiseth, and whom God honoureth, and 
to whom he hath given a name above every name. Pause! 
in the contemplation of the wonderful mystery. Was 
Jesus indeed despised, and by the very creature he came 
to redeem ? Did angels hail this wonderful incarnation, 
and man despise, hate, and abhor him ? Be astonished, 
O ye heavens ! and wonder, O earth ! But, my soul, go 
farther in the contemplation of this mysterious subject. 
What man, what individual man, was it, that could thus 
requite the unparalleled love of Jesus ? Alas ! not an 
individual only, but a whole nation ; nay, the whole na¬ 
ture, both Jew and Gentile, abhorred him ; for while in 
a state of unrenewed nature, to the one he is a stumbling- 
block, and to the other his cross is foolishness. Ah ! is 
it so, my soul ? Why then it follows that thou, even 
thou, my soul, wert once in the same state of hatred, and 



196 


JUNE 19. 


wert l>y nature, as well as others, a child of wrath, de¬ 
spising this wisdom of God in Christ for the salvation of 
sinners. And art thou then, my soul, recovered by al¬ 
mighty sovereign grace from this deadly hatred of nature, 
and dost thou look this day with love, with joy, with 
rapture, and unspeakable delight, to Him whom man 
despiseth, to Him whom the nation abhorreth ? Is Jesus 
indeed lovely, the altogether lovely to thy view ? Is he 
precious, nay infinitely more precious than the golden 
wedge of Ophir ? Yes, thou holy One of God, thou art 
the all in all to my soul. Witness for me, O ye saints ! 
that are now around his throne, that I have none in 
heaven or in earth that I desire beside him. My whole 
soul desires to know him, to follow hard after him, to 
trust in him, to cleave to him, to hang upon him, and to 
accept and receive him; and to make use of him as the 
wisdom of God, and the power of God, for salvation to 
my soul, as he is to every one that believeth. O ye 
sons of men, who are still in the unrenewed hatred of 
your heart, in your hatred against the precious Christ of 
God, what will ye do when He whom ye now despise 
shall come to your everlasting shame ? Well might the 
apostle echo the words of the prophet, for from, age to 
age the astonishing truth remaineth : “ Behold, ye de- 
spisers, and wonder, and perish; for I work a work in 
your days, a work which ye shall in nowise believe, 
though a man declare it unto you !” 


Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and 
drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God 
now accepteth thy works.— Eccles. ix. 7. 

My soul! here is a sweet subject for thy morning 
thoughts. Art thou accepted in the beloved ? Hast 
thou accepted Jesus, and God accepted thee in Jesus ? 
Well mayest thou then eat of the bread of common pro¬ 
vidences, and drink of the sweet of all sanctified mercies, 
for every thing is blessed in Jesus, and Jesus is blessing 
thee in every thing. Surely an accepted soul is a blessed 
soul, for he is blessed in his basket and in his store; 
blessed in his lying down, and blessed in his rising up; 



JUNE 20. 


197 


blessed in his going out, and blessed in his coming home ; 
yea, blessed in time, and blessed to all eternity. Yes ! 
thou blessed Source of all nvy blessedness ! thou precious 
Jesus ! I will go my way, for thou art my way ; I will eat 
my bread with joy, for thou art my bread of life : I will 
drink the wine which thou hast mingled for me, for thy 
love is better than wine. And as God my Father ac- 
cepteth me in thee, this forms an everlasting cause of 
everlasting joy; joy in what I have; joy in what I ex¬ 
pect ; joy in even what I want, for those very wants will 
lead me the closer and the nearer to thee ; joy in what I 
fear,for my fear will keep me depending upon thee; joy in 
what I suffer, for my sufferings are sweetly blessed when 
they afford a renewed occasion for my Jesus to soothe me 
under them, and in his time to deliver me out of them ; 
and joy in all I lose, for lose what I may, I cannot lose 
thee, I cannot lose God’s Christ; I cannot lose his love, 
his favour, his grace, his Spirit, the efficacy of his blood, 
and the merits of his righteousness. Oh ! precious se¬ 
curity ! precious salvation in the Lord our Righteous¬ 
ness ! Shall I not then live up to this heritage, and live 
under its influence, in the thankful, joyful use of it from 
day to day ? Go thy way, my soul, go in Jesus as thy 
way ; every day, and all the day, eat thy bread with joy; 
eye Jesus as the spiritual food, and always present at 
thy tabledrink hourly of his cup of salvation, with a 
cheerful heart, for thou art accepted in the Beloved. 

Grace be with all them that love our Lord 
Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen .-^Eph. vi. 24. 

And dost thou, my soul, with the same affection and 
love as the apostle, bend thy knee this morning before 
His throne, of whom the whole family in heaven and 
earth are named ? Dost thou look up, and pray that all 
grace may abound ? Oh ! what a delightful thought is 
it, my soul, to warm thy affections, that in the moment 
thou art waitings the mercy-seat, thousands are waiting 
also for the morning blessing. Go then, my soul, and 
tell thy Redeemer this: tell him that he hath all-suited 
grace, and that the eyes of his redeemed, as the eyes of 
one man, are all directed towards him. Yes ! thou glo- 
17 * 



198 


JUNE 21. 


rious, rich, and gracious Saviour! vve do behold thee 
still as the Lamb in the midst of the throne, leading thy 
church which is above in glory to fountains of living 
waters. And, Lord, we know that thou art equally at¬ 
tentive to thy church in the dry and barren wilderness 
here below, where no waters are. Vouchsafe, blessed 
Lord, to supply each soul. Thou hast every grace, and 
all grace, suited to all wants ; grace to pardon, grace to 
save, grace to renew,grace to strengthen, grace to bless. 
O Lord ! awaken, convince, humble, comfort, and pour 
out thy fulness as our several necessities may be, in 
calling, cleansing, justifying, adopting, sanctifying, and 
building up thine household, that all grace may abound 
according to God’s riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Oh! 
ye attendants at the heavenly gate ! see that ye come 
not empty away. Remember Jesus is on the throne : 
eye him there. Behold, the very grace you need is in 
his hand ; read the love that is in his heart, and remem¬ 
ber that he hath not only the very grace you need, but 
every grace, and every mercy Lor all that wait upon 
him. Tell every poor sinner this, and bid him ask in 
faith, nothing doubting: tell all you know, and all you 
meet, and all you see, that He who is on the throne 
hath abundant grace, and wants vessels, the empty 
vessels of his people, to give out into ; tell them that 
his grace exceeds all sense of grace, all thoughts, all 
prayers, all praises, all desires: nay, that he hath ex¬ 
ceeding abundantly above all that they can ask or think. 
Behold, then, O Lord ! thy children, thy redeemed, thy 
family, and let all grace be with all them, and upon all 
them, that love thee in sincerity. Amen.' 


Men wondered at.— Zech. iii. 8. 

Men wondered at, indeed ! And every redeemed soul 
may truly say, I am a wonder unto many, a wonder to 
myself. O thou, whose name is Wonderful! both thou, 
and the children the Lord hath given thee, are for signs 
and wonders. Behold ! my soul, how it was fulfilled in 
Him whose name is Wonderful, and then thine astonish¬ 
ment will be the less that it should be fulfilled in his fol¬ 
lowers. I would contemplate thy Person, blessed Jesus, 



JUNE 21. 


199 


and behold thee, not barely wondered at, but despised 
and rejected of men. The world gazed at thee, but saw 
no beauty nor form of comeliness in thee to desire thee. 
In thine offices also, how did the multitude despise thee 
as a Prophet; when blind-folding thee, and smiting thee 
on thy sacred head, they tauntingly cried out, “ Pro¬ 
phesy, thou Christ, who is he that smote thee.” As a 
Priest, what blasphemy did they utter, when they saw 
enough to be convinced, and to confess, that thou didst 
save others, but thyself thou couldst not save. As a 
King, when having nailed thee to the tree, they demand¬ 
ed a proof of thy power in coming down from the cross. 
And wert thou not, blessed Jesus, wondered at in thy 
words, when they acknowledged never man spake like 
this man; yet charged thy doctrines with blasphemy, and 
derided thee in them ? Wert thou not the wonder and 
the hatred of the world, when thy miracles astonished 
them, but were ascribed to the agency of Beelzebub ? 
Wert thou not, O thou spotless Lamb of God! wert thou 
not charged with immorality, and called a wine-bibber, 
a sabbath-breaker, the friend of publicans and sinners ? 
Did the world thus treat Jesus, and call the Master of the 
house Beelzebub ? Oh ! then, my soul, well may they 
so treat them of his household! And must it not be so? 
Yes. The world knoweth them not,because it knew him 
not. They are made a spectacle, a gazing-stock, a re¬ 
proach, a by-word. How unknown in their new birth 
from God! how little understood in their union with Jesus! 
how perfectly hidden from the world their life in the 
Spirit! what an everlasting opposition to carnal men are 
their pursuits, their pleasures, their happiness, their con¬ 
versation, their desires ! how wondered at their life of 
faith on the Son of God! They have meat to eat the 
world knoweth nothing of, for they feed i^pon the person, 
body, blood, grace, and righteousness of the Lord Jesus 
Christ. My soul! hast thou this rarity of character? 
Hast thou this blessed singularity ? Art thou wondered 
at because thou runnest not to the same excess of riot, but 
art blameless and harmless among the sons of God, in 
the midst of a crooked and perverse generation ? Oh ! 
blessed, for ever blessed, be His name, who hath called 
thee to this high, this glorious, this distinguishing ho- 


200 


JUNE 22. 


nour, of being wondered at and reproached for Jesus’s 
sake ! Yes, Lord ! I will not regard the reproach of 
men, neither be afraid of their revilings, for “ the moth 
shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall 
eat them like wool; but thy righteousness shall be for 
ever, and thy salvation from generation to generation.” 


And they came unto the brook of Eshcol, and 
cut down from thence a branch with one cluster 
of grapes .—Numbers xiii. 23. 

Was not this single cluster God’s earnest to the people 
of the sure possession of the land where those delicious 
fruits grew ? And was not the size and weight of this 
one branch a sample how full and extensive all the bless¬ 
ings, both of the covenant and of the promised land, 
should be to the after possessions of God’s people ? My 
soul! dost thou not see in it then a precious representa¬ 
tion of Jesus, that one Branch, and pf all that cluster of 
blessings which are in him ? Well might the church cry 
out concerning the Redeemer, “ My beloved is unto me 
as a cluster of camphire in the vineyards of Engedi.” For 
whether this camphire, this copher, denotes the vine of 
Cyprus, or the fruit of the palm-tree, in either, or in both, 
the soul-strengthening, soul-exhilarating,, soul-healing, 
virtues of his unnumbered excellencies, may well be set 
forth under the beautiful similitude of the cluster of 
grapes from the brook of Eshcol. Yes! thou dear Lord! 
thou hast condescended to compare thyself to the vine ; 
and to thy people thou art indeed a cluster of all that is 
lovely, sweet, gracious, and endearing. In thee dwelleth, 
like the berries of the richest cluster, all the fulness of the 
Godhead bodily. In thee is found all the purity, holi¬ 
ness, harmlessness, and perfection of the human nature, 
as God manifest in flesh. In thee, as God-man Mediator, 
we behold the cluster of all spiritual graces, all spiritual, 
temporal, eternal blessings, all divine promises ; all, all 
are in thee, to give out to thy people. Neither is there a 
mercy thy people can want, of grace here, or glory here¬ 
after, but what is treasured up in thee, in a fulness per¬ 
fectly inexhaustible. Precious Jesus ! revive my spirits 



JUNE 23. 


201 


this day with this view of thee. Give me to see when my 
soul desireth the first ripe fruit, that thou thyself art all 
my soul can need. Bring me to the brook of Eshcol, and 
there let my eyes, my heart, my whole soul, and body, 
^nd spirit, feast itself in the contemplation and enjoyment 
of thy Person, thy graces, gifts, and fulness, until, under 
the full satisfaction my soul findeth, in being eternally 
filled with thy goodness, I cry out with the church, My 
beloved is unto me as the richest of all the clusters 
of copher in the vineyards of Engedi. 


And he will destroy in this mountain the 
face of the covering cast over all people, and 
the vail that is spread over all nations. 

Isaiah xxv. 7. 

What a precious promise was this, with which the Lord 
comforted the church under the Old Testament dispensa¬ 
tion, that the- faithful might look forward to the New 
Testament dispensation, when Jesus in the holy moun¬ 
tain, where he finished transgression by his triumphant 
death, would effectually remove the covering which had 
blackened all faces, and had separated between God and 
guilty sinners. And, that the gracious promise might be 
had in everlasting remembrance by thy people, the evan¬ 
gelists were commissioned to tell the church, that in the 
moment Christ died, the vail of the temple was rent in 
twain, by an invisible hand, from the top to the bottom. 
My soul! see how Jesus, thy Jesus, hath most effectually 
fulfilled this precious promise. There was a vail of co¬ 
vering spread to separate thee for ever from God, had 
not Jesus taken it away, even the covenant of perfect 
obedience. God’s injured perfections formed also a total 
separation. And if these were not sufficient, the vail 
of sin would have for ever kept up this distance : “ Your 
iniquities have separated between God and you,” saith the 
Prophet. But now by his precious undertaking in fulfill¬ 
ing the whole covenant of works, restoring the honour 
to God the Father’s injured perfections, and opening a 
new and living way by his blood, which he hath conse- 



202 


JUNE 24. 


crated through the vail of his flesh, he hath opened the 
kingdom of heaven to all believers. Precious Jesus ! how 
endeared to my heart is this view of thee and of thy great 
salvation ! Yes, thou Lamb of God ! I have seen by thy 
Spirit’s teaching this deadly face of covering, which by 
sin hath been cast over all people : and I have seen, 
by the same almighty grace, that vail removed by thee. 
Now, Lord, in thee, and through thee, and by thee, I 
am led to behold the glory of God in the face of Jesus 
Christ. And having fled for refuge to the hope that is 
before me, this hope I have in thee, as an anchor of the 
soul, both sure and steadfast, and have cast it within the 
vail, whither thou, our Forerunner, hast for us entered, 
even our glorious High-Priest for ever, after the order of 
Melchisedek. 


And another angel came and stood at the 
altar, having a golden censer; and there was 
given unto him much incense, that he should 
offer it with the prayers of all saints, upon the 
golden altar which was before the throne. 

Rev. viii. 3. 

My squI ! behold this mighty Angel, even thy Jesus, 
in his priestly office. Look at him with an earnest eye 
of faith, before thou goest this morning to the mercy- 
seat. See his golden censer, with his much incense, and 
contemplate both the fulness of merit in his own glorious 
Person, and the fulness of efficacy in his work and right¬ 
eousness, for the sure acceptance of all his redeemed. Go 
near, my soul, having boldness to enter now into the ho¬ 
liest by the blood of Jesus. Hear thy great High-Priest 
bidding thee to take shelter under his golden censer, and 
behold him presenting thy person and thy poor offerings 
upon the golden altar, even his divine nature, before the 
throne. Yes, Lord ! I would draw nigh in thee, and by 
thee,, convinced that it is wholly from thee," and for thy 
sake, either my person or my prayers can find accept¬ 
ance. For thee, and for thy sake my sins are pardoned, 
my offerings are accepted, grace is bestowed, communion 
and fellowship are obtained; peace in this life, and glory 



JUNE 25. 


203 


in that which is to come, are the portion of thy people. 
Hail! thou glorious, gracious, all-sufficient, High-Priest! 
To thee be glory in the church, throughout all ages! 
Amen! 


The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, 
and his ears are open unto their cry. 

Psalm xxxiv. 15. 

My soul! never more allow thyself to suppose that 
thou art overlooked or forgotten amidst the immensity of 
God’s works. Is it not the province of a father to attend 
to the wants of his children ? And will not God regard 
his own, that cry night and day unto him, though he 
bear long with them ? This was the very argument of 
our Redeemer. Do you, saith Jesus, that are evil, know 
how to give good gifts unto your children, and shall not 
your heavenly Father give his Holy Spirit to them that 
ask him ? But, my soul, while thou art taking comfort 
from this view of divine love, take with thee another 
sweet thought from this precious verse of Scripture. 
Whose eyes are thus upon thee, and whose ears are thus 
open to thy cries, but those of the Lord Jesus ? Oh! 
how sweet the thought! that by reason of the Son of 
God, as Christ, being in our nature, and he having taken 
upon him our nature, he hath eyes to see, and ears to 
hear, such as we have. What a blessed light the Holy 
Ghost hath thrown over all those precious passages in 
which God is spoken of, as having eyes, and ears, and 
an arm, and the like, describing himself by human 
powers ; that it is indeed the divine nature of the Man 
Christ Jesus. It is Jesus the Mediator^the Redeemer, 
the exalted and triumphant Saviour, who hath all power 
in heaven and in earth; who, having loved his own 
which are in the world, hath loved them unto the end. 
My soul! learn then to behold in all these sweet por¬ 
tions, that it is Jesus, thy Husband and Brother, as well 
as thy God and Saviour, (and both forming one glorious 
Christ,) whose eyes are always upon thee, and whose ears 
are always attentive to thy cries, and to the cries of all 
his redeemed. 



204 


JUNE 26. 


The Lord possessed me in the beginning of 
his way; before his works of old I was set up 
from everlasting.— Prov. viii. 22, 23. 

Pause ! my soul! over those most blessed words, and 
see what glories are contained in them. May God the 
Spirit glorify Christ to thy view, while pondering these 
words. Who is it that speaks them ? Is it not Wisdom ? 
Even Christ, the Wisdom of God, as the apostle elsewhere 
calls him ? But how was he possessed by the Lord, and 
how set up from everlasting ? Not openly in the human 
form, that he was in the fulness of time to take upon him 
for the purposes of redemption; but, as it should seem, 
secretly, as subsisting in covenant engagements from 
everlasting. As Mediator, was it not ? Not as yet made 
flesh, hut (if we may from another scripture draw the 
conclusion) as the image of the invisible God, the first¬ 
born of every creature. Coloss. i. 15. What a glory, 
beheld in this view, doth this precious scripture, with all 
that follows it in the chapter, hold forth ! The Son of 
God, in covenant engagements from everlasting, was in 
time to take-into himself manhood, and from the union 
of both God and man become one Christ. Hence, from 
everlasting, Wisdom, one of those natures, is set up and 
speaks as a person, not separate or distinct from the 
other nature of the Godhead, but as in union, and from 
both, forming (in covenant settlements) the one glorious 
Mediator. So that it is not wisdom, as a person speak¬ 
ing, without subsisting in the Son of God, neither is it 
the Son of God, without wisdom subsisting as such in 
him, but both forming one identical person, and that 
person the Mediator, whose name was then secret, but 
afterwards was to he called Wonderful, when by the 
open appearance of the Son of God, tabernacling in a 
body of flesh, redemption work from everlasting, cove¬ 
nanted for and agreed upon by the several persons of the 
Godhead, was to be completed. What a blessed con¬ 
templation is here opened, my soul, to thy diligent and 
humble inquiry. Here direct all thy researches ; here let 
prayer ascend for divine teachings to guide thee; here 
behold him, who, in the after-ages of his love, made an 
open display of himself as the God-man, when he mani- 


JUNE 27—28. 


205 


fested forth his glory, and his disciples believed on him; 
thus, as the Wisdom-man, declaring himself as possessed 
by Jehovah in the beginning of his way, and set up be¬ 
fore all worlds as Jehovah’s delight, while his delights 
were with the sons of meti. Oh ! the wisdom of God in 
a mystery, even the hidden wisdom which God ordained 
before the world began ! 


I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the 
last.— Rev. i. 11. 

My soul! if the precious meditation of yesterday be 
not wholly gone off from thy poor forgetful mind this 
day, here is another blessed view to revive the thought 
afresh, in looking at the Mediator, as the Alpha and 
Omega, the first and the last, in the same covenant en¬ 
gagements. Jesus is indeed, as the eighth verse of this 
same chapter expresses it, the Alpha and Omega, as one 
with the Father, over all, God blessed for ever. But he 
is also here the Alpha and Omega, as the Mediator, both 
God and man; For he is the first and the last of all 
God’s thoughts, and in his covenant engagements, of all 
Jehovah’s works ; for every thing in creation begins and 
concludes in him. From everlasting he was set up. So 
that though Adam was the first man openly, yet not the 
first man secretly, and as subsisting in covenant engage¬ 
ments. Here again, as was remarked before, and from 
an authority not to be disputed, he is the image of the 
invisible God, the first-born of every creature ; that in 
all things he might have the pre-eminence. Precious 
Jesus ! be thou to me the Alpha and Omega. And as it 
is plain that Jehovah possessed thee as the glorious cove¬ 
nant Head of thy people in the beginning of his way, 
and before his works of old, so cause me to possess thee 
as the all in all, the first and the last, the Author and 
Finisher of my salvation. 


Carry down the man a present.— Gen. xliii. 11. 

Ah, poor Jacob ! how unconscious wert thou that this 
man, the governor of Egypt, was so near and dear to 
18 




200 


JUNE 29. 


thee, and that his bowels yearned to tell thee how much 
he loved thee. And, oh ! ye sons of Israel, who would 
haye had power to convince you, while you were bowing 
down before Joseph under the dreadful apprehensions 
which agitated your minds, and he was assuming a voice 
of displeasure, that this very man was your brother ? My 
soul! and what was all this, heightened to the greatest 
possible degree in the real love and affection of Joseph 
towards his family, compared to that love of Jesus which 
passeth knowledge ? Jesus is thy Brother, and he is the 
Governor, not of Egypt only, but of heaven and earth. 
The famine, it is true, is sore in the land, and to him 
thou must go for sustenance, or thou wilt perish for ever. 
But wilt thou carry down the man a present ? My soul, 
what hast thou to carry ? Not thy duties, nor thy prayers, 
thine alms, thy righteousness: these are all filthy rags. 
Besides he to whom thou goest needeth not the gifts and 
offerings of his creatures. His terms are, without money 
and without price. Go then, my soul, poor and wretched 
as thou art* go to him with a broken and a contrite heart, 
for that he will not despise. And, oh! what a volume 
of mercies, blessings, and graces, is contained in that 
one word of his, when he shall say, I am Jesus your 
Brother! Precious Jesus ! I would say, thou art indeed 
a Brother born for adversity. Thou art he whom thy 
brethren shall praise, and all thy Father’s children shall 
bow down before thee. 


And they sought him among their kinsfolks 
and acquaintance, and found him not. 

Luke ii. 44, 45. 

May we not gather a lesson of sweet instruction from 
the anxious and fruitless search the parents made for 
Jesus in the days of his flesh ? What kinsfolks and ac¬ 
quaintances shall we now search among for the Saviour ? 
My soul! how little of Jesus is to be found in this Christ- 
less generation ! What parlour conversation makes men¬ 
tion of his name ? Is it not plain and e vident, from the 
general, nay, almost universal silence, observed in all 



JUNE 30. 


207 


companies, concerning his name, and offices, and cha¬ 
racters, and relations, that Christ is not there l Shall we 
seek him among the professors of the Gospel? Who are 
they that honour Jesus ? Not they who deny his God¬ 
head ; not they who deny the influences of his Holy 
Spirit; not they who set up their own righteousness as 
part, or the whole of their justification before God. 
Jesus is not in that house, in that family, in that heart, 
among that people who live in sensuality, profaneness, 
and impiety. Where shall we seek Jesus ? Blessed 
Lord ! mine eyes are unto thee to be taught. I would 
say unto thee in the language of the church, “Tell me, 
O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where 
thou makest thy flock to rest at noon ! Oh, when I shall 
find thee without, I would lead thee, and bring thee into 
my mother’s house, who would instruct me; and I would 
cause thee to drink of spiced wine of the juice of my 
pomegranate.” 


In thee the fatherless findeth mercy. 

Hosea xiv. 3. 

Sweet thought! In Jesus, and the relationship which 
he hath condescended to place himself in, all his poor 
followersmay find asupply to fill up&very vacancy. My 
soul! contemplate Jesus in this blessed feature of cha¬ 
racter. What relation do we need ? The fatherless are 
commanded to look to him whose name is the everlasting 
Father. Tbp motherless also, for he hath said, “As one 
whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort thee.” 
Doth death make a breach between the husband and the 
wife ? then the scripture saith, “Thy Maker is thine hus¬ 
band, the Lord of Hosts is his name.” Are we friend¬ 
less ? “ Jesus is the friend that loveth at all times, that 
sticketh closer than a brother.” In short, there is no 
situation among the affinities of life, the kinder charities 
of nature, but what Jesus fills, and infinitely transcends 
all. Pause, my soul, over this view of Jesus, and behold 
how he graciously proposeth himself to supply all wants, 
and to fill all vacancies. Jesus is both the Father, the 



JULY 1. 


Friend, the Brother, the Husband, the whole in one of 
all relationships and of all connections. And amidst all 
the changes, the fluctuating circumstances of human af¬ 
fairs, the frailties and infirmities of our own hearts, and 
the hearts of others, which sometimes separate chief 
friends, what a blessed thought it is, “ Nothing can sepa¬ 
rate from the love of Christ !” Precious Lord ! give me 
to cry out with the church, under the full assurance of 
thine unalterable love, “This is my beloved, and this is 
my friend, O daughter of Jerusalem.” 


JULY. 

Because of the savour of thy good ointments, 
thy name is as ointment poured forth. 

Song i. 3. 

Why, my Lord, is thy name so truly blessed, but be¬ 
cause thou hast so endeared it to thy redeemed, by every 
tie which can gain the affections ? Didst thou, even be¬ 
fore I had being, enter into suretiship-engagements for 
me, that thou wouldst redeem me when fallen, that thou 
wouldst take my nature, live for me, die for me, become 
a sacrifice for me, shed thy blood for me, wash me in thy 
blood, clothe me with thy righteousness, justify me before 
God and thy Father, become my Advocate, High-Priest, 
Intercessor, betroth me to thyself here in grace, and ever¬ 
lastingly unite me to thyself in glory hereafter ? Didst 
thou do all this, and art thou still doing it, making my 
cause thine own, and following me with love, and grace, 
and mercy, every day, and all day, and wilt thou never 
leave me nor forsake me ? And must not thy name be as 
ointment poured forth ? Can there be a savour as sweet, 
as fragrant, as full of odour, as the name of Jesus ? 
Precious ointments, it is true, have a smell in them very 
grateful; but what savour can be like that, which to the 
spiritual senses manifests Jesus in his person, love, grace, 
and mercy ; in whom there is every thing desirable, and 
nothing but what is lovely ; all beauty, power, wisdom, 
strength, an assemblage of graces, more full of odour 
than all the spices of the east ? Precious Lord Jesus ! let 



JULY 2. 


09 


thy name be written in my heart, and let every thing but 
Jesus be for ever obliterated there, that nothing may 
arise from hence hut what speaks of thee ; that through 
life, and in death, the first and last, and all that drops 
from my lips, even in the separation of soul and body, 
Jesus may form in the close of grace here, and in the first 
opening of glory to follow, the one only blessed, precious 
Name, as ointment poured forth. 


And thou shalt not be for another man; so 
will I also be for thee .—Hosea iii. 3. 

My soul, was not God the Holy Ghost representing, by 
the similitude of his servant the prophet’s marriage with 
an adulteress, the astonishing marriage of Jesus with our 
nature, and his personal union with every individual of 
his church and people ? Look at this scripture, and see 
how sweetly it points to Jesus. The prophet was com¬ 
manded to love this woman beloved of her friend, and 
yet an adulteress. He was to buy her also to himself: 
and he was to charge her to abide with him, and not to 
play the harlot any more, saying unto her : “And thou 
shalt not be for another man, so will I also be for thee.” 
Precious Jesus, do I not behold thee in all this ? Can 
any thing more strikingly shadow forth thy grace, thy 
mercy, thy love to thy people ? Was not our whole na¬ 
ture estranged from thee, when thou earnest down from 
heaven, to seek and save that which was lost? Were 
not all in a state of daring adultery, when thou hadst 
from everlasting betrothed thyself to us, in standing up 
our glorious Husband and Surety ? And how striking the 
expression : “ Then said the Lord unto me, Go yet, love a 
woman beloved of her friend surely at the command of 
God thy Father, and not uncalled, unsent, unauthorized, 
didst thou come. Our nature was indeed yet beloved of 
thee, our best and dearest Friend, though in a state of 
spiritual adultery, and wholly gone away from thee. Yes, 
blessed Jesus ! in defiance of all our multiplied transgres¬ 
sions, it might be truly said, we were yet beloved of thee 
our Friend and Brother, born for adversity : for thou wert 
then, as now, unchangeable in thy love, the same Jesus 



210 


JULY 3. 


yesterday, to-day, and for ever. And surely, Lord, in 
another feature the prophet shadowed thee forth : for as 
he purchased the harlot, so thou, Lord, before we became 
thine, didst purchase us by thy blood. And dost thou now 
say to me this day, “ Abide with me, and thou shalt not 
be for another man, so will I also be for thee ?” Oh, con¬ 
descending God! oh, precious, lovely, all-loving Sa¬ 
viour ! Lord, make me thine, yea, altogether thine. 
Let my whole soul, and body, and Spirit, be all thine, 
both by the conquests of thy grace, as they are justly 
thine, and by the purchase of thy blood, that never, never 
more, I may depart from thee, but with the same full 
consent as the church of old, I may exult in this blessed 
assurance : My beloved is mine , and I am. his. 


Now the end of the commandment is charity 
out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, 
and of faith unfeigned.—1 Timothy i. 5. 

See, my soul, what Jesus hath secured for thee, by his 
gracious undertaking and accomplishment; and which 
his servant was commissioned to tell the church, was 
the very end of the commandment, namely, charity, or 
love. And this law of love is given thee, that thou 
mightest manifest whose thou art, and to whom thou 
dost belong ; not as a rule of acceptance, for then that 
would be to make thy Jove a covenant of works, but as a 
sweet testimony of thy affection in the hand of Jesus. 
It is a law of love indeed, because the cords of love, by 
which thou art drawn, prove it to be so. Thy obedience 
is not from slavish fear, for then this would be bondage, 
but the love of Christ constrains thee. Thy love to him 
makes thee long to be like him. Thy love to him makes 
his commandments not grievous but gracious. Thy love 
to him makes ordinances precious, because Jesus is the 
whole of them. And thy love to him makes all that be¬ 
longs to him dear, and in which Jesus requires thy proofs 
of affection ; not in thy strength, as the poor Israelites 
were demanded to make brick without straw, but by 
living in thee, and working in thee, both to will and to 
do of his good pleasure. Here, my soul, thou truly 



JULY 4. 


211 


findest strength and grace equal to thy day. The end of 
every commandment, as well as the beginning, is love, 
for it begins in Jesus, is carried on in Jesus, and ends in 
Jesus, and he is all love. And in him, and by him, the 
conscience,the heart, faith, all, are kept pure, undefiled, 
and unfeigned, because love in Jesus is at the bottom; 
like the chariot of Solomon, paved with love. 0 thou 
glorious pattern of all holiness ! make me like thyself! 


I am among you as he that serveth. 

Luke xxii. 27. 

Surely there is a blessedness in these words that affords 
substance to feed upon. My soul, read them again and 
again : pause over them, pray over them, and look up to 
Him, that thus so humbly, graciously, and lovingly, ex¬ 
pressed himself! Art thou, blessed Jesus, among thy peo¬ 
ple as he that serveth ? I know. Lord, that thou didst con¬ 
descend to become the servant of Jehovah, though thou 
wert Lord of all, when, for the salvation of poor sinners, 
thou didst undertake to veil thy Godhead, and in our na¬ 
ture to become our Surety. And I know, Lord, also, 
that thou didst, in a very memorable moment, and at a 
time when (as the Evangelist had it to relate to the church) 
thou knewest that the Father had given all things into 
thine hands, thou didst condescend to wash thy disciples’ 
feet. But art thou still among thy people as one that 
serveth ? Be astonished, O heavens! and wonder, O earth! 
All power is thine in heaven and in earth ! And is Jesus 
among his people, among his redeemed ones, his exercised 
ones, as he that serveth ? Pause again, my soul! Medi¬ 
tate upon the blessed, gracious words. Was there not a 
circumstance of trial, when Christ was upon earth, but 
what he felt in his human nature, when fulfilling all right¬ 
eousness ? Then will it follow, that there cannot be a cir¬ 
cumstance of trial which his members now feel but what 
he knows ; nay, what he appoints. And if he appoints it, 
is he not looking on ; nay, measuring out suited strength, 
suited grace, as the circumstances shall require ? And if 
all this be m Jesus now, and every minute event both his 



212 


JULY 5. 


ordering, supporting under, carrying through, crowning ; 
in all is he not, though Lord of all, servant of all; and 
doth he not now say to every poor disciple in the present 
moment, as fully as he did to them in the garden with 
him, “ I am among you as he that serveth ?” My Lord and 
my God, would I cry out, under the same conscious shame 
of my dreadful unbelief, as Thomas did under his ! Yes, 
Lord, thou art still ministering, still serving ! And though 
I lose sight of thee in a thousand and ten thousand in¬ 
stances, where nothing but thy imparted strength could 
carry me through; yet plain and most evident it is, that 
in all the blessings of thy finished redemption, thou thy¬ 
self art giving out, and serving up, grace to thy people. 
Thou didst first purchase all blessings with thy blood. 
.And now thou ever livest to see them administered by thy 
Spirit. Precious Jesus ! thou art ever with me. By and 
by I shall be with thee, I shall see thee as thou art, and 
shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness. 


Thou shalt not wear a garment of divers 
sorts, as of linen and woollen together. 

JDeut. xxii. 11. 

Though the true believer, who, like the king’s daugh¬ 
ter, is all glorious within, cannot but know, that as meat 
commendeth us not to God, so neither doth the necessary 
dress, which, since the fall, is become suited to cover our 
sinful bodies, make a part of our holy faith: yet, it is 
highly proper, that persons professing godliness should use 
great plainness of apparel. The ornament of a meek and 
quiet spirit, we are told, is of great price in the sight of 
God. But who should have thought that such a precept 
as this of Moses had a gospel signification. And yet as 
Christ was preached under types and figures through the 
whole law, we may reasonably suppose that not a single 
command was then given, but what had an eye to him 
and his great salvation. But if we find the Lord so strict 
respecting the outward dress of the body, what may we 
conclude the Lord would enjoin respecting the inward 
clothing of the soul ? If woollen and linen were offensive 




to be worn together, surely we cannot appear before God 
in the motley dress of Jesus’s righteousness and our own. 
The fine linen, scripture saith, is the righteousness of 
saints. With this, which Jesus puts on his people, no¬ 
thing of our own woollen garments must be worn. The 
righteousness of a creature, had we any, (which in fact 
we have none,) cannot be suited to mix with the right¬ 
eousness of the Creator. And no man that is wise for 
salvation, would put the old piece of our corrupt and worn 
out nature upon the new garment of the renewed nature 
in Christ Jesus. When therefore the Lord saith, Thou 
shalt not wear a garment of divers sorts, my heart replies, 
No, Lord ! let me be clothed with the robe of thy right¬ 
eousness, and the garment of thy salvation ; then shall I 
be found suited for the marriage supper, when the King 
comes in to see the guests at his table. 


Nay, in all these things we are more than 
conquerors, through him that loved us. 

Romans viii. 37. 

More than conquerors! mark that, my soul! Con¬ 
querors all the soldiers of Jesus must be, for in his strength 
they fight, and he hath himself subdued all our foes, 
even death the last enemy, and Satan, whom the God o£ 
peace will bruise under our feet shortly. So that victory 
is sure. For we overcome by the blood of the Lamb, by 
the sword of the Spirit, and by the shield of faith, whereby 
we subdue all the fiery darts of the wicked. But though 
conquerors, how are we more than conquerors? Yes, 
through him that loved us, believers absolutely conquer 
Him that is himself unconquerable. For, by union with 
Jesus, we may be said to have power with God, and to 
prevail. “ I will not let thee go,” said the praying Jacob, 
“ except thou bless me.” A blessing he came for, and a 
blessing he would have. So all the praying seed of Jacob 
have power through the blood and righteousness of Jesus 
in like manner. Hence Jesus saith to his church, “ Turn 
away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me.” 
Sweet and precious thought! my soul, never lose sight of 



214 


JULY 7. 


it. Through Him that loved thee, and gave himself for 
thee, thou art more than conqueror: nay, thy present 
victories are more than the victories of the church in 
heaven. For they have now no more conflicts with tri¬ 
bulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or naked¬ 
ness, or peril, or sword; but by Him that loved us, we 
arise above the midst of them now, and while troubled 
on every side, we are not distressed; while perplexed, are 
not in despair: the love of Jesus is seen in these very ex¬ 
ercises, and that in very love, and very faithfulness, the 
Lord causeth us to be afflicted. Hence, through him, 
we conquer them: nay, we are more than conquerors. 
We love him that sends the affliction, because we discover 
his love in it: and as without that affliction, the love of 
our Jesus in sending it would in that instance not have 
been kno\yn, therefore here we have a blessed victory the 
church above cannot know. Precious Jesus! to thy love, 
however, and thy grace, be all the praise and all the 
glory; for under thy banner of love alone it is that we 
are more than conquerors. 


Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but 
when the desire cometh it is a tree of life. 

Prov. xiii. 12. 

Surely, my Lord and Saviour is the sum and substance 
of this sweet verse ! For art thou not the hope of Israel, 
and the Saviour thereof? And if thou deferrest giving to 
my soul renewed views of thy pardoning love, or with- 
holdest the renewed visits and manifestations of thy 
grace, will not my soul languish, and my whole heart be 
sick ? Can I, dear Lord, continue for a moment in health 
of soul without thee ? And art thou not my desire, when 
thou art the desire of all nations ? And when thou cometh 
to my soul in all thy freeness, fulness, suitableness, and 
all-sufficiency, art thou not the very Tree of life in the 
paradise of God ? Precious, precious Jesus! give me 
to sit down under thy shadow with great delight, for 
surely thy fruit is sweet to my taste. Do not defer thy 
blessed visit to my soul this morning, for thou knowest, 



JULY 8. 


815 


Lord, that though, through thy grace, that sickness of 
sin which is unto death, thou hast already cured by the 
application of thy blood and righteousness ; yet there is 
a sickness not unto death, and which my soul will pine 
and languish under, unless thou renewest me from day to 
day. O blessed Jesus, I want every moment fresh mani¬ 
festations, renewed discoveries, of thy presence, grace, 
and favour! I want to know thee more, to love thee 
more, to live to thee more ; and the deferring these pre¬ 
cious mercies maketh my heart sick. Come then, thou 
blessed Lord, with all thy fulness; my desires are to thee, 
and to the remembrance of thy name. With my soul 
have I desired thee in the night: and now, with the first 
dawn of day, would I seek thee early. And surely, when 
thou comest, as I know thou wilt come, thou wilt be in¬ 
deed, and in truth, the Tree of life. Methinks my soul 
is now opened by thee for thy reception; and therefore, 
Lord, do thou now make such rich discoveries of thy 
person, glory, grace, and love, as may fill every portion 
of my heart. Nay, Lord, I pray to feel such goings forth 
of my poor soul, in waiting for thy coming, that, like 
the queen of Sheba, overpowered in the view of the riches 
and wisdom of Solomon, my views of thy condescending 
grace, and a sense of my unworthiness to be so blessed 
of my God, may melt my whole soul before thee, and, 
like her, there may be no more spirit in me from such 
ravishing enjoyments of thy presence. 


Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my 
servant whom I have chosen.— Isa. xliii. 10. 

Doth God indeed appeal to the souls of his people for 
the truth of his covenant love? Oh! the gracious con¬ 
descension ! It is sweet, it is blessed, and a testimony 
enough to make the heart of every child of God that 
possesseth it to leap for joy, when the Spirit vvitnesseth 
to our spirits that we are the children of God. But it is 
still carrying on that blessedness with increasing delight, 
when the people of God themselves become witnesses of 
covenant love and faithfulness ; and, from numberless 



216 


JULY 8. 


experiences in themselves, can, and do, set to their seals 
that God is true. See then, my soul, this morning, 
whether thou art one of thy God’s witnesses; and thy 
Redeemer, as the servant of Jehovah, witnesseth/or thee, 
and by his sweet influences in thee, all that thine heart 
can wish concerning the word of his grace, and thy fel¬ 
lowship and communion with him. Run over a few leading 
points in which thou carist, and dost, bear witness for thy 
God. Did he not remember thee in thy low estate, when 
he passed by, and bid thee live ? Did he not convince thee 
of sin, and put a cry in thine heart of salvation ? Did not 
God the Holy Ghost convincingly prove to thee, both 
the infinite glories and perfections of Jesus, and by his 
gracious leadings constrain thee to a love towards him, 
dependence upon him, and a perfect approbation of hav¬ 
ing him for thy Saviour ? Did not Jesus so graciously visit 
thee, show thee his love, his tenderness, his power, his 
suitableness, his all-sufficiency, as to warm all thy frozen 
affections into a warmth for him, and attachment to him ? 
And did not thy God and Father, again and again, ma¬ 
nifest to thee his covenant love, in accepting thee in 
Jesus, blessing thee with all spiritual blessings in him, 
hearing and answering prayer, and proving by all these 
tokens that he is thy God, and that thou art one of his 
people ? And art thou, my soul, day by day looking up for 
salvation only in Jesus, and renouncing all other saviours ? 
Dost thou know all these precious things, my soul, and 
a thousand more of the like nature, in which thou art 
bearing daily testimony to the word of his grace ? Then 
surely thou art one. of those to whom Jehovah appeals in 
the blessed scripture of the morning. Think, then, my 
soul, what an honour thou art called to ! What a privi¬ 
lege is thine!' See to it, my soul, that thou witness for 
Jesus, whom God hath given for a witness to the people. 
And while Jesus takes up thy cause before the throne in 
heaven, do thou plead his cause, and be valiant for his 
truth here upon earth. And do ye, angels of light, and 
ye spirits of just men made perfect, witness for me, that 
this Lord is my God ! 



JULY 9. 


217 


But he answered her not a word. 

Matt. xv. 23. 

Mark ! my soul, this feature in thy Redeemer’s con¬ 
duct towards the poor woman that so long and so ear¬ 
nestly entreated him—Jesus answered her not a word. 
And yet, from the close of the subject, nothing can be 
more evident, than that the Lord had determined, not 
only to grant her petition, but to throw the reins of go¬ 
vernment, concerning herself, into her hands so com¬ 
pletely, that it should be as she would. Learn then 
from hence, how to interpret silence at the throne upon 
every occasion of thine. In every dark providence, 
under every dispensation of grace, never forget that 
Jesus’s love is the same. What though he answereth 
not a word; yet his whole heart is towards his redeemed. 
Whatever frowns there may be in outward things, there 
can be none in what concerns the real happiness of his 
people. Jesus may try, as in the instance of this poor 
woman, the graces he gives. Faith may be hard put 
to it, and silence at the throne may make temptations 
and exercises of every kind more sharp and painful. 
But Jesus is the same, his love the same, the merits and 
efficacy of his blood and righteousness the same. These 
speak for thee, my soul, when they may not speak to 
thee. That’s a precious thought, never forget it. And 
remember, moreover, covenant mercies are not suspend¬ 
ed upon our deserts. The free grace of God in Christ 
depends not upon the will or the worth of man ; accord¬ 
ing to the beautiful account by the prophet, of the rain 
or dew of heaven, which waiteth not for man, neither 
tarrieth for the sons of men. Henceforth, therefore, my 
soul, do thou learn to wait at the mercy-seat, as cheerful, 
and with as lively actings of faith, when Jesus answereth 
not a word, as when thy petitions are all complied with. 
Men ought always to pray, and not to faint, saith one 
that could not be mistaken. Oh ! for grace and faith to 
take God at his word, and like Job to say, Though he 
slay me., yet will I trust in him. 



19 



218 


JULY 10. 


And he is before all things, and by him all 
things consist.— Coloss. i. 17. 

How doth the apostle mean that Jesus is before all 
things? Not as God only, for then the observation 
would have been needless; and not as man only, for 
then how could all things consist by him ? What is it 
then, my soul? Is it not as a Mediator, both God and 
man ? And was not Christ thus set up from everlast¬ 
ing? Not openly revealed indeed, neither openly ma¬ 
nifested in a body of flesh, until the fulness of time ; but 
secretly, and in the divine counsels. What a blessed 
thought for the redeemed to exercise their rapturous 
meditations upon ! And is it not this which the apostle 
hath said : He is the image of the invisible God. The 
image ! Yes ! that representation of what is in itself in¬ 
visible : that identical image concerning which Jehovah, 
when calling Adam into existence, said, Let us make 
man in our image, after our likeness. So then Adam 
was the first man indeed openly , but not so secretly, 
for it is plain that Adam was made after this likeness, 
which was set up from everlasting. Hence this union 
of natures, subsisting in one Person, formed the one 
glorious Mediator, who is, and was, before all things, 
and by whom all things consist. Here is the founda¬ 
tion then of the church, and that from everlasting: 
without this, the church, and indeed all things beside, 
had wanted foundation. For there is nothing created 
that can stand out of God; and there was nothing cre¬ 
ated that could stand in God by a personal union but 
him. What a glorious thought! Cherish it, my soul! 
Never lose sight of it. In Christ the Mediator all things 
consist. The church is preserved, redeemed, sanctified, 
glorified ! And how are all his redeemed ones person¬ 
ally and individually secured, but by the same ? By 
him all things consist. Hence their consisting is in him; 
they are living in him, feeding on him, made righteous 
in his righteousness, and hereafter will be glorified in his 
glory. My soul! think what a world of mysteries thou 
art in! think what an unspeakable life is a life of grace 
here ! think what a world of glory in Jesus hereafter! 
Now see if thou canst better enter into an apprehension 


JULY 11. 


219 


of those divine words of Jesus, Because I live, ye shall 
live also. And again, At that day ye shall know that I 
am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you 1 


If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it 
is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou 
wouldst have asked of him, and he would have 
given thee living water .—John iv. 10. 

Amidst a thousand precious things concerning Jesus, 
there are two views of him which are peculiarly so, and 
which those words of his to the woman of Samaria bring 
home to the heart, in the plainest and most blessed man¬ 
ner. The one is, who and what Christ is in himself; 
and the other is, the Father’s authority in him, so as to 
give faith in him a divine warrant to act by, when a poor 
sinner comes to make use of Christ. It is our ignorance 
in those two grand points concerning salvation which 
is the sad cause of all our miseries, and the little enjoy¬ 
ment even gracious souls, for the most part, have in 
Jesus. Now, my soul, do thou meditate upon both these 
things, this morning, and from these sweet words of thy 
Saviour see if thou dost not prove what he so graciously 
saith to be true. First, consider who, and what Jesus is, 
as he is in himself. Let thy faith have for its object of 
meditation the Person and the work of God thy Saviour. 
In all he wrought, in all he did, in all he accomplished, 
it was as the surety of his people. And in all the fulness 
by virtue of it, which is treasured up in him, it is not for 
himself, fpr he cannot need it, but it is for his people ; so 
that a poor sinner is as much suited to Jesus for him to 
give out of his fulness, as Jesus is suited for a poor sinner 
to supply his emptiness. And therefore, if we did but 
thus know him, and thus come to him, we should find 
that he is as earnest to receive every poor sinner, and 
to give out of his fulness, as that poor sinner can be to 
come and take. Now, my soul, when thou hast duly 
pondered over this, look at Jesus in the other point of 
view also, as the gift of God. Here thou hast a warrant, 
an authority ; nay, a command, to come to Jesus, and to 
make use of him for every want which poverty, igno* 



220 


JULY 12. 


ranee, and sin, have occasioned in the circumstances of 
our fallen nature. Christ is the one blessed ordinance 
of heaven ; Christ is the one, and the only one, ap¬ 
pointed way for a poor sinner’s acceptance with God. 
And therefore, did a poor sinner always keep in view 
that Christ is the gift of God, and that God is honoured 
when that poor sinner honours his dear Son, by believ¬ 
ing the record God hath given of him, would not this 
make every poor sinner happy, in thus glorifying God ? 
And therefore, my soul, look to it that this is thy daily 
exercise ; for then thy thirst for Jesus will not be sup¬ 
plied, as from a pool which depends upon dry or wet 
seasons, but Jesus himself will give thee living water; 
nay, Jesus will himself be that everlasting living spring 
in thee, which springeth up unto everlasting life ! 


And they began to pray him to depart out 
of their coasts .—Mark v. 17. 

And was this Jesus whom they desired to depart ? 
Yes ! And what had the Redeemer done to merit this 
treatment ? He had dispossessed the evil spirit from 
the mind of a poor creature, and caused the whole 
country to be freed from the fury of one whom no chains 
could bind! Was this the cause? Yes! And is it 
possible that so divine an act could have had such an 
effect upon the minds of a whole body of people ? 
What, would these Gadarenes rather have the devil 
raging among them, in the person of this poor creature, 
than the Son of God in the kindness of our nature? 
Pause! my soul. Is it not the same now ? Do not 
men still prefer the raging uncontrolled lusts of their 
own hearts, the dominion of Satan, and the customs, 
pursuits, and follies, of the world to the grace, mercy, 
and sweet dominion of Jesus ? Do they not in deed, 
if not in words, say, Depart from us, we desire not the 
knowledge of thy ways ? Pause again, my soul! Was 
there not a time when the same was thy case ? Indeed 
there was! And is not every one so by nature ? And 
what but an act of grace, like the miracle Jesus wrought 
on this poor man, can bring any one out of it ? Art 



JULY 13. 


221 


thou, my soul, brought out of it? Yes, if so be, like 
him, thou art now sitting at the feet of Jesus clothed, 
and in thy right mind. Surely, Lord, thou hast wrought 
this blessed change upon me ! Could I desire thee to 
depart out of our coasts ? Nay; is it not the daily, 
hourly desire of my heart, that thou wouldst be with 
me, dwell in me, reign and rule in me, and be my por¬ 
tion, my God, my Saviour, and make me thine for ever ? 
Sweet testimony! in the midst of all my wanderings, 
coldness, undeservings. Cherish it, my soul. Jesus 
will not depart from thee. That love which brought 
him down from heaven to save a world, led him over 
the lake of Genesareth to save one poor sinner. And 
he who came in love unsent for, departed not until he 
was sent away. Oh! ye poor, blind, deluded, Gada- 
renes! Oh ! my poor, equally blind, and deluded 
countrymen and fellow sinners, who know not, nor 
desire to know, Christ Jesus ! Who are ye that thus 
reject the Lord of life and glory, and desire him to de¬ 
part out of your coasts ? 


This year thou shalt die.— Jer. xxviii. 16. 

I have often thought this passage, pronounced on the 
lying prophet, a most suitable sermon for a birth-day por¬ 
tion, to be sounded in the ears of the sinner: and if quali¬ 
fied with the possibility and probability which arise out 
of our dying circumstances, it might, when commissioned 
by the Lord, have a blessed effect. My soul! take it for 
the meditation of thy birth-day. It may be fulfilled this 
year, it must be fulfilled some year, it cannot be a very 
distant year, and there is a birth-day when it shall be 
passed upon thee in the year. And why not the present? 
Pause ! my soul, and meditate upon it, as if this were the 
very year. And what though carnal men celebrate the 
anniversary of their birth-day, as best suited to their car¬ 
nal minds, let thine be wholly spiritual. If indeed a man 
came into the world laughing, there might be a suitable 
correspondence in commemorating the annual return of 
such a birth with laughing. But if cries first indicated 
the birth of a poor helpless creature, born to want, and 
the subject of sin and misery, can rioting and folly be the 
19 * 



222 


JULY 14. 


proper celebration of such an event? And is there no 
joy suitable on the return of a man’s birth-day ? Oh, 
yes ! there is, and ought to be, real heart-felt joy with 
every child of God. When a man begins to count 
birth-days in grace, every return calls for joy in the 
Holy Ghost. Not for that he was born an intelligent, 
immortal creature only, but for that he was made a new 
creature in Christ Jesus; not for that he came into the 
world in a state of nature only, but for that he w^as 
brought also into a state of grace; not for that he was 
of the stock and lineage of Adam only, but of the seed 
of Christ. Here is an alliance royal, holy, heavenly, 
divine! my soul! how many moons or years in the 
new life canst thou mark down ? Let this be the arith¬ 
metic in thy calculation. And if, like the herald of the 
morning, the voice should say. This year thou shalt 
die, oh ! how sweet to answer, Lord, my times are in 
thine hands. Can they be in a wiser, or more tender, 
or more loving hand, than Jesus’s? Precious Lord! 
wean me from every thing here below, that I may be 
living nearer with thee, and in thee, and to thee; that 
as the last year of my pilgrimage lessens to the month, 
and the month to the week, and the week to the day, 
nay, to the very hour, and moment, of my departure 
from a body of sin and death, the last expiring words 
on my trembling lips may be of Jesus; and thine, O 
Lord, come home with power and sweetness to. my 
soul, like thine to him on the cross, To-day shalt thou 
be with me in paradise. 


And I only am escaped alone to tell thee. 

Job i. 19. 

My soul, is there nothing in this account which the 
messenger to Job gave concerning himself which suits thy 
case and circumstances ? Nay, mayest thou not in a great 
variety of ways, both in providence and grace, adopt 
similar language, in which thou art escaped alone to tell? 
Pause. Look back to thy boyish days. Nay, look fur¬ 
ther back, even to the birth and to the womb; for had 
not the Lord carried thee from thence, surely from the 



JULY 15. 


223 


womb wouldst thou have died and given up the ghost. 
And what was thy childhood, but years of perils and dan¬ 
gers, in which multitudes dropped all around thee, so that 
thou mightest say, while contemplating them, “ And I 
only am escaped alone to tell thee.” And where are 
numbers with whom the stages of thy youth, and years at 
school were spent ? Where are they ? May it not here 
again be said, “And I only am escaped alone to tell 
thee?” Go on, and trace the wonderful history in the 
eventful path of riper years ; through what sicknesses, 
pains, and deaths, hast thou passed, and mayest thou 
not, my soul, here again cry out, “And I only am es¬ 
caped alone to tell?” Oh the wonders of distinguish¬ 
ing love, even in common providences, towards his 
people, before that the highly-favoured objects have 
any consciousness how that love is watching over them, 
and whereby they are preserved to the day of their 
calling! Who shall count the sum of distinguishing 
mercy, in preserving and upholding providences, during 
the whole of an unconverted state ! My soul, hadst 
thou died in an y of these perilous seasons, (and how 
very near sometimes hath death seemed,) the language 
of Job’s messenger would not then have been thine as 
it is now, “ And I only am escaped alone to tell thee.” 
Pause once more. Art thou now, my soul, indeed es¬ 
caped to tell of converting grace ? Canst thou now look 
round, and amidst the dying and the dead in trespasses 
and sins, unawakened, unconcerned, unregenerated, 
canst thou indeed say, “And I only am escaped alone 
to tell thee ?” O then, my soul, proclaim with earnest¬ 
ness the glorious truth, invite all as far as thy sphere of 
information can reach, as if thou, and thou alone, wert 
escaped to tell of the wonders of redeeming love ; and let 
thy daily language be, “ O come hither, and hearken 
all ye that fear God, and I will tell you what he hath 
done for my soul.” 


Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, be¬ 
cause they keep not thy law .—Psalm cxix 136. 

Who is there of whom this may be said ? Jesus, and 
Jesus only. He wept indeed over his beloved Jerusalem, 



% 


224 JULY 16. 

for he was a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. 
And the love he had to his redeemed induced a bloody 
sweat through all the pores of his sacred body. But of 
every other may it not be said, All seek their own, not the 
things which are Jesus Christ’s. Did we truly love Zion, 
would not rivers of tears run down at the present lan¬ 
guishing state of Zion ? Did we feel the full sense of dis¬ 
tinguishing grace, would not every heart mourn over the 
ruins of our common nature ? Think, my soul, what a 
mass of sin ascends as a cloud before the view of the Lord 
every day from a single heart of the desperately wicked 
transgressor! Think what an accumulation in a town, a 
province, an empire, the world ! Might not rivers of 
waters run down at the contemplation ? And worse, if 
possible ! Think of that higher source of sorrow, in that 
the only possible remedy for this evil is slighted, and 
Christ, which is God’s own gracious ordinance for the 
recovery of our ruined nature, is so little esteemed among 
men. Oh how might the people of God be supposed to 
have their very souls melted in the contemplation ! This, 
this is indeed the condemnation : this is the soul-destroy¬ 
ing sin, that light is come into the world, and men love 
darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil. 
Oh for grace to mourn over a Christ-despising genera¬ 
tion ! Oh for the Deliverer to arise out of Zion, and turn 
away ungodliness from Jacob ! 


I say unto you, there is joy in the presence 
of the angels of God over one sinner that re¬ 
pen teth .-—Luke xv. 10. 

What a precious information is this, which the Son of 
God hath given of heaven’s joy over every individual in¬ 
stance of the recovery of our poor fallen nature! Surely 
if angels of light thus participate in the triumphs of our 
Jesus, well may sinners rejoice over sinners, whenever a 
single one is awakened from darkness to light, and con¬ 
verted from the power of sin and Satan unto God. Think, 
ye ministers of my God, what motives arise out of this 
thought to stir up your most earnest exertions in labour- 



JULY 17. 


225 


ing in the word and doctrine ! Ought it not to be the first 
and most importunate petition at the mercy-seat, when¬ 
ever entering upon your labours, that by the Lord’s bless¬ 
ing upon you, new causes might arise to call forth this 
joy in heaven ? Nay ought it not to be the fervent prayer 
and hope of faith, at the close of those labours, and es¬ 
pecially every Lord’s day, that some souls may have been 
awakened, and angels may have rejoiced through your 
instrumentality ? Can there be a prayer more interesting 
upon earth than when the servant of Jesus saith, “ Lord, 
crown my labours this day with success ?” And can there 
be a subject to call forth more animated praise than when, 
at the close of a sabbath, you look up and say, “ Lord, 
have angels rejoiced this day over the conversion of any 
poor sinner in this congregation ?” And no less, ye 
parents and guardians of the rising generation, should 
the same hope prompt you to wrestle in prayer with God 
for the sanctification of your household. Go on and 
hope that answers are coming down to your earnest re¬ 
quests. Perhaps the next joy in heaven may he over 
one for whom you have now prayed ! Precious Jesus! 
it is enough. I bless thee, Lord, for this, among a thou¬ 
sand other proofs of thy care over us, that the salvation 
of poor sinners adds new joy to the felicity of heaven : 
and that there is joy in the presence of the angels of 
God over one sinner that repenteth. 


I go to prepare a place for you. And if I 
go and prepare a place for you, I will come 
again and receive you unto myself, that where 
I am, there ye may be also .—John xiv. 2, 3. 

How shall I ever sufficiently enter into an apprehen¬ 
sion of the love of Jesus ? Much less, how shall I ever 
sufficiently love thee, and adore thee, thou unequalled 
pattern of excelling love, blessed, precious Jesus ? Was 
it not enough to have given such palpable evidences of 
thy love in dying for poor sinners, hut must thou tell 
them also, before thy departure, the cause for which thou 
art gone away, and to give them an assurance, at the same 



226 


JULY 17. 


time, that thou wouldst came again, and take them home 
with thee to glory ? O, help me, Lord, to love thee, to 
live to thee, to be always on the look out for thee, and to 
rejoice with a joy unspeakable-in the promise of thy com¬ 
ing. And, my soul, while thou art taking all the sweet¬ 
ness of those precious words of thy Jesus to thyself, in 
the prospect of his shortly coming to take thee to himself, 
let them also have their full comfort under any bereaving 
providences of thy friends. Wouldst thou regret if an 
earthly king had conceived such a love to any friend of 
thine, that he had sent for him to advance him to some 
high dignity, to make him his favourite, and to load him 
with honours? Considered as to earthly accommodations, 
would this advancement of some near and dear friend of 
thine be distressing to thee, because thou wert to see him 
no more ? Nay, would not the generosity of the prince 
be highly extolled by thee, and more especially if the 
messengers which came to fetch thy friend brought with 
them a promise, that, ere long, a royal guard would be 
sent to take thee also, to live with thy friend for ever, in 
the king’s palace, and under the king’s eye, both enjoy¬ 
ing the royal favour ? But what would all this fading, 
dying, perishing, and uncertain grandeur be, to that 
which Jesus promiselh in these blessed words of the morn¬ 
ing ? And hath Jesus taken any of thine home to his 
glory ? Are they now at the fountain head of blessed¬ 
ness, and art thou weeping over their breathless remains? 
Raise up, my soul, thy thoughts from earth to heaven. 
Hear the voice that speaks, “ Blessed are the dead which 
die in the Lord.” Keep up the constant expectation of 
thine own call. Walk as on the borders of the invisible 
world. And above all, so watch the daily, hourly visits 
of Jesus, by his grace, and enjoy the sweet communion 
and fellowship in spirit, by which he now speaks to his 
people, and they to him, that when Jesus draws back 
the curtain of thy bed at death, and appears to thy 
ravished view in all his glory, thou mayest leave the 
trembling body, and run to his embraces, crying out, 
“ My Lord, and my God.” 



JULY 18—19. 


227 


Take us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil 
the vines, for our vines have tender grapes. 

Song ii. 15. 

My soul, mark the sweetness and tenderness of this 
precept! Foxes no doubt resemble, in this scripture, the 
subtle, less open, less discovered, sins and corruptions 
which lurk in us, like these cunning creatures under a 
covering, and perhaps sometimes under a fair covering. 
Moreover, they may mean also false but fair teachers. “O 
Israel,” said the Lord, “thy prophets are like the foxes 
in the deserts,” crafty, designing, malignant, and filthy. 
And in proportion as they put on a more fair and spe¬ 
cious appearance, the more are they to be dreaded. Satan 
never more artfully, nor perhaps more effectually, de¬ 
ceives than when he is transformed into an angel of light. 
Moreover, the precept is enforced by that important con¬ 
sideration, that vines (by which, no doubt, are meant 
believers) have tender grapes. What more tender than a 
weak conscience ? And what more liable to be wounded 
than the tender principles of young beginners in a life of 
grace ? My soul, look up to Jesus, the Lord of the vine¬ 
yard, for grace to be on the look out against these de¬ 
structive enemies to thy welfare. And, conscious that all 
thy vigilance, without this watchful eye over thee, would 
never protect thee from foes so shrewd and artful, beg of 
Jesus himself to take these foxes for thee, and destroy 
them before thine eyes. “ Lord,” I would say, “ keep me 
from every enemy which doth evil in thy sanctuary, and 
preserve alive in flourishing circumstances all those ten¬ 
der graces of thy Spirit bestowed upon me, that I may 
bring forth fruit to the praise of thy holy name, and may 
flourish and spread abroad as the cedar in Lebanon.” 


‘Without me ye can do nothing .—John xv. 5. 

Dearest Jesus ! I know this in theory from thy gra¬ 
cious teachings, as well as I know that I am by nature a 
sinner; but I am for ever failing in this knowledge, when 
I come to put it into practice. Teach me, Lord, how to 
preserve the constant remembrance of it upon my mind, 



228 


JULY 19. 


that I may never go forth to the holy warfare to subdue 
a single foe but in thy strength, and never make mention 
of any thing but thy righteousness, and thine only ! Be 
convinced, my soul, every day, more and more, of this 
most precious truth, and behold it proved from all the 
circumstances around thee. See and remark the total 
inability either of God’s judgments or God’s mercies to 
induce the least alteration upon the heart of man, without 
his grace. Behold the prosperous sinner bathing in a full 
river of blessings, himself in health, his circumstances 
flourishing, his children like olive branches round his 
table, wealth pouring in upon him from every quarter; and 
yet he lives without God, and without Christ in the world; 
and as he lives, so he dies, in the vanity of his mind. See 
him amidst distinguishingpreservations,in battles by sea 
or land, still preserved, while floating carcasses, or opened 
graves are all around him : do these things bring his heart 
to God ? Not in the least. The sum total of his character 
may be comprised in a few words : Neither is God in all 
his thoughts. Look at him in the opposite side of the 
representation : let such an one be visited with chastise¬ 
ments, in his own person sickness, in his family misery, 
in his substance want, in short, in all that concerns him, 
a life of sorrow, care, anxiety, disappointment, ruin : 
perhaps to all these, a body long the dwelling-place of 
some loathesome disease, under which he groans, and at 
length dies, and dies the same unawakened sinner as he 
had lived. And suppose these accumulated evils had 
been distinguished also with some more peculiar mala¬ 
dies, in perils in the sea, in perils in the war, in perils 
among men ? Nay, let him be maimed in his limbs, let 
him be rotting in a prison, let him be worn out with mi¬ 
sery from evil upon evil, like waves of the sea follow¬ 
ing each other: yet still he continues the hardened, 
unsubdued sinner, under all, and as unconscious of God’s 
rods as the prosperous sinner before described is of Gotl’s 
blessings. Are these things so, my soul, and hast thou 
seen them? Yes, in numberless instances? Oh then 
learn, that without Jesus thou canst do nothing ! Out¬ 
ward circumstances, unaccompanied with inward grace, 
leave men just where they found them ; and plain it is, 
that grace alone can change the heart. Lord Jesus, let 


JULY 20. 


229 


these loud and crying truths day by day lead my soul to 
thee ! Be thou all in all, my hope, my guide, my strength, 
my portion ; for without thee I can do nothing. 


Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, 
and there I will cause thee to hear my words. 

Jeremiah xviii. 2. 

Yes, Lord, with the first of the morning will I arise, 
and go down at thy command, where, by the secret and 
silent whispers of thy divine teaching, I may gather suit¬ 
able instruction for interpreting all thy dispensations, both 
in providence and grace, towards me ! Mark, my soul, 
the vessel marred in the hand of the potter. Alas ! how 
hath our nature been marred since it came out of the 
hand of our Almighty Potter ! Will the potter cast his 
vessel away ? No, he will new make it. O thou glorious 
Lord! methinks I hear thy words in this, for thou hast 
not thrown us away, but hast new made us, and more 
blessedly made us in Christ Jesus. My soul, art thou 
indeed thus new made, a vessel unto honour, sanctified 
and meet for the Master’s use ? Attend then to thy pro¬ 
per character, and never lose sight of it. Refer every 
act of mercy and favour in thy original creation, in thy 
new creation, when marred by sin, and in all the appoint¬ 
ments and dispensations, both in nature, providence, and 
grace, in which thou art placed, to the sovereign will and 
pleasure of Jehovah, thine Almighty Potter. All the dif¬ 
ferent forms, and the different ends, for which the whole 
is appointed, result from his sovereignty, in which the 
richest display of wisdom and of love is shown. Shall the 
thing formed say unto him that formed it, Why hast thou 
made me thus ? Much less in any of the dispensations, 
either in providence or grace, shall any say, Why dost 
thou use me thus ? Precious Jesus! It is enough to be new 
made in thee, to be new formed in thy blessed likeness, 
to be taken into thy service, and to be made a meet vessel 
for the Master’s use in thy family. Thy church is as a 
great and well-furnished house, where there are not only 
vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth. 

20 



230 


JULY 21. 


And if my Lord condescend to look on me, to use me, 
nay to bring me into his house and family, that I may 
be always under his own gracious eye, how humble soever 
the place, or lowly the station, to belong to Jesus is the 
supreme honour of all his saints. My soul, make frequent 
visits to the Potter’s house, and never fail to go down there 
whenever any temptations from the enemy, or thine own 
heart, causeth thee to forget thy creatureship, and the 
wonders of a marred creature, being new made in Christ 
Jesus! 


The righteous shall flourish like the palm- 
tree .—Psalm xcii. 12. 

It forms a beautiful illustration, which the Holy Ghost 
condescends to give of a true believer’s state, as it stands 
before God, in the allusion not unfrequently made in 
scripture to that of the palm-tree. The direct tendency 
of the palm-tree is upward : it lifts its head, in defiance 
of all impediment, towards the clouds. Now a true be¬ 
liever in Jesus is always looking upward, and directing 
all his pursuits after Jesus. His person, blood, and 
righteousness, are the objects of his desire. And as the 
palm-tree is said to flourish the more when trodden upon, 
and attempted to be crushed, so the believer, most op¬ 
pressed for Jesus’s sake, will flourish in the graces of the 
Spirit more abundantly. How fruitful also is the palm- 
tree ! And how much the people of God bring forth fruit 
in their old age, when, after long experience, they have 
found that in Jesus alone their fruit is found ! How much 
the palm-tree likes sunny places ! How precious the Sun 
of righteousness is to his people ! And as the branches of 
palm-trees are worn in tokens of victory, so the church 
above are beheld with palms in their hands; and the 
church below carry the palm of rejoicing, when, from the 
atoning blood and righteousness of Jesus, they are made 
more than conquerors through him that loved them. My 
soul, art thou flourishing like the palm-tree ? Yes ; if so 
be thou art planted in Jesus, and watered from the streams 
of that river which maketh glad the city of God. Yes ; if 



JULY 22. 


231 


directing all thy views, all thy hopes, all thy desires, to 
Jesus, thou art living in him, acting faith upon him, making 
him the Alpha and Omega of hope here, and happiness 
hereafter. Blessed Sun of righteousness! shine with 
such warm, life-giving, fruit-imparting beams of thy rich 
grace upon my soul, that I may flourish indeed under thy 
divine influence ; and show that the Lord who is my rocky 
is uprighty and that there is no unrighteousness in him. 


These shall make war with the Lamb, and 
the Lamb shall overcome them ; for he is Lord 
of lords, and King of kings; and they that are 
with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. 

Rev. xvii. 14. 

What an awful thing must sin in its own nature he, 
which hath introduced such evil into the whole creation 
of God, in its consequences. One might have hoped, 
however, that the meek and gentle Lamb of God would 
have been exempt from the daring rebellion, and that 
sin would not have bid defiance and waged war against 
the peaceable, and holy, and harmless Jesus ! But so far 
is this from being the case, that, in all probability, war 
first broke out in heaven against the person of God’s dear 
Son, as man’s glorious Head, and Mediator, even before 
the deadly malignity manifested itself against God and 
his Christ upon earth, in tempting the first man and his 
wife in the garden of Eden, to rebel against God. Pause, 
my soul, over this scripture. Who are they here described 
that make war with the Lamb ? Nay, rather, who are 
they not ? All the powers of darkness, all the varieties of 
the earth, all the inhabitants of hell, all that are under 
the influence of that evil spirit, which now worketh in the 
children of disobedience. # Under this dreadful banner of 
open rebellion against heaven, every man by nature is en¬ 
listed ; and until an act of sovereign grace and power is 
passed, and he that is Lord of lords, and King of kings, 
overcomes, and brings them under his blessed dominion, 
all ranks and orders of men are found. My soul, are the 
weapons of sin fallen out of thine hands ? Art thou 



232 


JULY 23. 


brought under the conquests of Christ’s grace ? Hast thou 
bent the knee of willing homage to the Lamb, who hath 
bought thee with his blood, and made thee his by his 
grace ? Read thy character, if so, in these sweet words, 
“ And they that are with the Lamb are called, and chosen, 
and faithful.” Art thou called with a holy calling ? Art 
thou chosen , and fully convinced of this, that had not 
Jesus first chosen thee, thou wouldst never have chosen 
him ? Art thou faithful , in seeking and desiring no other 
salvation, convinced that there is salvation in no other ? 
Take with thee, then, my soul, these precious marks of 
thy high-calling and fellowship, and see that thou follow 
the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. 


Oye like unto the Soji of man, clothed with 
a garment down to the foot, and girt about the 
paps with a golden girdle.— Rev. i. 13. 

My soul, thou art going this morning to the throne of 
grace, art thou not ? Pause then, and behold Jesus as 
John saw him, for the church’s joy, in his priestly vest¬ 
ments : for remember, he is still a priest upon his throne, 
and by the oath of Jehovah abideth a Priest for ever. 
Nay, my soul, be not afraid ; draw nigh : hark ! surely 
he calls. Methinks he speaks to thee—“ Behold me ! be¬ 
hold me ! See, I am thine intercessor. For this cause 
I wear these priestly garments, and, as the high-priest of 
old represented me, I appear in them down to the foot, 
and the golden girdle round and beneath the breast. 
What is thy cause ? What blessings and praise hast thou 
to offer for past grace ? And what supplications for pre¬ 
sent and future favours ? Behold my vesture dipped in 
blood. Think of the everlasting efficacy of my right¬ 
eousness : and for whom should I make intercession but 
for transgressors ?” Fall down, my soul, with holy reve¬ 
rence and godly fear. Jesus will do by thee as he did by 
John. He will lay his right hand upon thee, and say, 
Fear not. O precious, precious Lord! thou art indeed 
he that was dead, and now livest for evermore. And 
thou livest to see the fruits of thy great salvation, faith- 





JULY 24. 


233 


fully, and fully applied, to every one of thy redeemed. 
Thy priesthood is for ever. Thy intercession unceasing. 
I do behold thee, Lord, by faith, even now standing with 
the blood of the covenant in thine hand, and presenting 
me, even me, poor, wretched, worthless me, as one of the 
purchase of this blood ! Do I not hear thy voice in those 
soul-reviving words, “Father, keep through thine own 
name those whom thou hast given me ? Father, I will 
that they also whom thou hast given me, be with me 
where I am?” O glorious, gracious, almighty High- 
Priest ! thou art indeed a Priest for ever, after the order of 
Melchisedek. O, ye trembling souls ! ye who have any 
cause this day to bring before the court of heaven, look unto 
Jesus, look within the vail, see Jesus there ; look steadily, 
though humbly, and behold his hands, his side ; Zion is 
still engraven on his palms. Nay, do we not see, may 
we not read, our very names, as the high-priest bore the 
names of Israel on his breast, while his hands are lifted 
up to bless ? Yes, Jesus takes up our cause, bears our 
persons, and all our concerns. And how shall either fail, 
while he is able to save to the uttermost all that come to 
God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession. 


The stranger did not lodge in the street; 
but I opened my doors to the traveller. 

Job xxxi. 32. 

Though Job was thus hospitable, yet we know that 
angels would have lodged in the street, if Lot had not 
taken them in. Nay, the Lord of angels, when he came 
a stranger upon earth, had not where to lay his head. He 
came indeed unto his own, but his own received him not. 
My soul, pause! hast thou done better by thy Lord? 
Nay, thou hast not. And though thou knowest the pre¬ 
cept the apostle had it in commission to tell the church, 
not to be forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby, as 
in the instance of the patriarch, and others, some have 
entertained angels unawares; yet, my soul, how long did 
the Lord of life and glory stand without, knocking at the 
door of thine heart, by the ministry of his word, and or- 



234 


JULY 25. 


dinances, saying, “ Open to me yea, and would have 
stood to this hour, had he not, by his own sovereign 
grace, put in his hand by the hole of the door, and 
opened to himself. O thou blissful Stranger ! didst thou 
indeed come from a far country, on this gracious, bless¬ 
ed errand, to seek and save that which was lost; and 
didst thou find every heart resolutely shut against thee ? 
Didst thou, blessed Jesus, when travelling in the great¬ 
ness of thy strength, open to thyself an entrance into 
the souls of thy people, by the sweet and constraining 
influences of thy Holy Spirit ? Do thou, then, almighty 
Lord, throw open the street-doors of my heart, for thy 
constant reception ! Make them like the gates of that 
blessed city which are never shut, day nor night. And 
cause my soul, like the prophet on the watch-tower, or 
Abraham in the tent door, to be always on the look-out 
for my Lord’s approach, that I may invite thee, yea, 
constrain thee, to come in, and abide with me, and to 
make thyself known unto me, by the heart-burning dis¬ 
courses of thy word, and in breaking of bread, and of 
prayer. Yes, yes, thou glorious Traveller ! who art 
perpetually on the visits of thy love, I do know thee, I 
do sometimes catch a sweet glimpse of. thee, and trace 
the footsteps of thy grace, in thy word, in thy ordinances, 
and in the various ways by which thy presence is disco¬ 
verable. Indeed, indeed, thou heavenly Stranger ! thou 
shalt not lodge in the street; but I will take thee home 
to my house, to my heart and soul: and thou shalt sup 
with me, and I with thee, according to thine own most 
gracious promise, and I will cause thee to drink of spiced 
wine, of the juice of my pomegranate. 


Thou art my hiding-place .—Psalm xxxii. 7. 

Yes, dearest Jesus ! thou art indeed my hiding-place. 
In every point of view I desire grace so to behold thee. 
Surt-ly, from everlasting, in thee, and thy person and 
righteousness, were all thy redeemed hid in thy counsels 
of peace and salvation. And is not every individual hid 
in thee also, O thou glorious Head of thy church! 





JULY 26. 236 

while in a state of unrenewed nature, to be secured from 
death and the grave, and from the unpardonable sin; 
and as one of the apostles terms it, preserved in Christ 
Jesus , and called ? And when called, and quickened by 
grace, what, but from having our lives hid with Christ 
in God, could keep alive the incorruptible seed, or pre¬ 
serve unextinguished the immortal spark ? Whence is 
it, then, my soul, that the smoking flax, which Satan and 
thine own remaining indwelling lusts strive to blow out, 
is not quenched ; or the bruised Teed, which appears so 
continually falling, is not broken—hut because Jesus is 
thy security, through whom, and in whom, thy languish¬ 
ing graces revive as the corn, and grow as the vine ? Oh ! 
what springs of grace must there he for ever flowing 
from Jesus, though hidden from mortal view. Surely, 
Lord, thou an my hiding-place, and therefore, with thy 
leave, I will consider thee as a strong Tower, into which 
the righteous runneth and is safe. Yes, both my person 
and life, both my safety and happiness, both my present 
peace and everlasting joy, all, all are in thee. Doth any 
then ask thee, my soul, Where dwellest thou ? Tell 
them in Jesus, in the clefts of the rock, in the secret 
places of the stairs, even in Christ himself and his justi¬ 
fying righteousness ; secret and hidden indeed from mere 
men of the world, but revealed from faith to faith to all 
his redeemed, and into which, tell them, thou hast found 
shelter from the broken law of God, from the dreadful 
effects of sin, from death, from hell, and all the powers 
of darkness. And all these, and numberless other un¬ 
known blessings, because Christ is my hiding-place, who 
hath both preserved me from trouble, and hath compassed 
me about with songs of deliverance. 


And there wrestled a man with him, until the 
breaking of the day.— Gen. xxxii. 24. 

My soul ! here is a lovely portion for the morning. 
For the morning, did I say ? Yea, both for night and 
morning, and, indeed, until the everlasting morning 
break in upon thee, and all the shadows of the night flee 



236 


JULY 26. 


away. For are not all the seed of Jacob, like their father, 
wrestlers in the actings of faith and the fervour of prayer, 
until they come off, like him, prevailing Israels ? And 
who was this man which wrestled with the patriarch ? 
Let scripture explain scripture and give the answer. “ By 
his strength,” said the prophet Hosea, (chap. xii. 3, &c.) 
“ he had power with God; yea, he had power over the 
angel, and prevailed: he wept, and made supplication 
unto him he found him in Bethel, and there he spake 
with us; even the Lord God of hosts, the Lord is his 
memorial.” Here then light is thrown upon the subject. 
He that is called a man in one scripture, is called an angel 
in this other. And that we might not overlook nor for¬ 
get the identity of his Person, as the very man whose 
name was then secret, (Judges xiii. 18,) but hereafter to 
be made known, and himself appear openly, the prophet 
was commissioned to tell the church, that he that spake 
with us, in the person of Jacob our father, was the same 
that found Jacob in Bethel, even the Lord God of hosts; 
for that was his memorial. Gen. xxviii. 10—19. And was 
it then He, whose name is Wonderful, which wrestled 
with Jacob ? And when the poor patriarch was hard put 
to it, full of fears, doubts, and distresses, on account of 
his brother Esau, and was stirring up himself to take 
hold of God’s strength, by way of strengthening himself 
against Esau, did He that came to strengthen him, first 
take hold of him, and seem to contend with him, until 
the breaking of the day ? Oh then, my soul, here learn 
a sweet and precious lesson against the hour of the many 
contentions with the Esaus of thy warfare ! for thou 
wrestlest not only against flesh and blood, but against 
principalities and powers, against the rulers of the dark¬ 
ness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high 
places. See, my soul, where thy strength is—even in 
Jesus. See what a blessed example of prevailing in prayer 
the Holy Ghost hath here set before thee. Look to this 
God-man with whom Jacob wrestled, and come off suc¬ 
cessful, and say with Job, Will he plead against me with 
his great strength ? No, but he will put strength in me. 
Job xxiii. 7. Fill thy mouth with arguments, as Job 
did. Tell Jesus of thy wants ; tell him of his riches, 
tell him of thy guilt, tell him of his precious blood and 



JULY 27. 


237 


righteousness ; and tell him, that thy misery, and weak* 
ness, and unworthiness, renders thee a suitable sinner for 
so gracious a Saviour to get glory by in saving. Go to 
him, my soul, with these strong, these unanswerable 
pleas. Jesus will love to hear and to receive them. 
And while he wrestles with thee, do thou wrestle with 
him all the night, in which thou art contending with 
thy sins within and temptations without, with the errors 
of the infidel, and the crying sins of the profane. And 
do as Jacob did, wrestle, plead, supplicate, cry, and 
take hold of his strength, his blood, his righteousness, 
and God the Father’s covenant-promises in him; and 
never give over, nor let him go, until the day break and 
he blesseth thee. 


That thy trust may be in the Lord, I have 
made known to thee this day, even to thee. 

Prov. xxii. 19. 

My soul! mark for thy morning meditation what is 
here said. Observe, in the first place, the general know¬ 
ledge the Lord hath given us of his saving truth and mer¬ 
cies in Christ Jesus, and which becomes a sufficient war¬ 
rant and authority for all the world to believe in Christ, 
and to accept of Christ, to the salvation of the soul. 
Christ in the word is the Father’s authority for every sinner 
to believe the record God hath given of his Son; and 
the rejection of this command will be the condemning 
sin to every one who despises this plan of salvation, be¬ 
cause he hath heard, and then turned his back upon this 
love of God in Christ Jesus the Lord. My soul! ponder 
over this view of the subject, and then turn to another 
sweet and distinguishing property of God’s revelation, 
which he makes, by his blessed Spirit, in the particular 
apprehension of it. And this is done in every heart that 
is made willing in the day of God’s power, when the same 
grace which reveals Christ in the word, reveals Christ 
also in the heart, the hope of glory. Here the verse of 
the morning is confirmed in what God saith, that in order 
to every child of God putting his trust in the Lord, he 



238 


JULY 28. 


hath made known to thee, even to thee, this day. Ob¬ 
serve, my soul, the personal application of the divine 
truth. God, by his Spirit, makes it known to thee. It 
comes like a letter sent down from heaven. Who is it 
for ? Read the direction. It is for thee, my soul. Thus 
faith takes home the contents to the heart, and finding 
how exactly every thing in Jesus and his salvation suits 
his own case and circumstances, he lives upon it, feeds 
upon it, takes it for his portion, trusts in God for the 
truth of it, and rejoiceth evermore. My soul! hast thou 
marked these distinct things ? And dost thou know how 
to distinguish rightly between general proclamations of 
mercy, and special personal enjoyments of it ? Oh ! then, 
live up to the full enjoyment of God’s rich mercy in 
Christ: accept Christ, and use Christ, daily, hourly, to 
the glory of Father, Son, and Spirit, as the redemption 
by Christ was intended; and bless God more and more 
for his unspeakable gift. 


As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth 
over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, 
taketh them, beareth them on her wings; so 
the Lord alone did lead him. 

Deut. xxxii. 11, 12. 

Here learn a lesson, to form some faint idea how the 
Lord is unceasingly engaged in taking care of his people. 
If thy God condescends to represent it by such a simili¬ 
tude, is it not both thy privilege and thy duty to mark 
the several particulars of such grace and tenderness ? The 
eagle not only possesseth, in common with other crea¬ 
tures, the greatest affection for her young, but manifests 
a vast superiority over every other of the winged tribe, 
in her management of her brood. She provides for 
them and protects them, as other birds of the air do ; but 
in educating them, and the method by which she shelters 
them from danger, here is displayed such superior wis¬ 
dom and power as far exceeds whatever we meet with in 
other creatures. She stirreth up her nest ; by which we 
may understand, she suffers not her young eagles to lay 



JULY 29. 


239 


sleeping, but calls them forth to life and exercise. She 
Jluttereth over them , as if to show them how they are to 
use their wings, and fly. And when she taketh them 
from the nest, this is not done like other birds who carry 
their young in their talons, and in their haste or flight 
may drop them—or, when pursued or fired at by an 
enemy, may have them killed and herself not hurt; but 
the eagle beareth her young on her wings, so that no 
arrow from beneath can touch the young, until it hath 
first pierced through the heart of the old bird. What a 
sweet thought do these views afford ; and what a blessed 
instruction do they bring ! My soul! do they not teach 
thee, since the similitude is the Lord’s own, that He that 
hath stirred up the nest of thine old nature, in which thou 
wast born, because he would not suffer thee to sleep there 
for ever in the unawakened state of sin, and hath brought 
thee out, and brought thee abroad, and taught thee how 
to fly up, in devout aspirations after him, is the Lord ? 
Is it not he that fed thee and sustained thee from thy 
youth, even until now; taught thee, and hovered over 
thee, and caused thee to mount up as upon the wings of 
eagles; to run, and not be weary; to walk, and not 
faint ? Yes, yes, blessed Jesus ! it is thou that hast in¬ 
deed borne me, as thou hast said, upon eagles’ wings, and 
brought me to thyself: so that I see, by this delightful 
comparison, that thou wilt not suffer any of thy little 
ones to perish: for he that toucheth them, toucheth the 
apple of thine eye—nay, while on thy wings, he that 
destroyeth them, must first destroy thee. O Lord, 
give me grace rightly to enjoy and use such marvellous 
blessings. And since, to the wisdom and strength of the 
eagle, thou hast now added the tenderness and solicitude 
of the hen, do thou, Lord, gather me under thy wings, 
and nourish me with thy love and favour, that I may be 
thine for ever, and live here by faith, as hereafter I hope 
to live with thee in glory! 


We, being many, are one body in Christ. 

Romans xii. 5. 

One of the most delightful of all thoughts, and which, 



240 


JULY 29. 


when fully enjoyed under the influence of the Holy 
Ghost, gives an unspeakable felicity in the heart, is that 
union and fellowship of Christ with his church. Ponder 
it, my soul, this morning. All the members of Christ’s 
body are but one body, the apostle saith, in Christ; and 
he is the Head over all things to the church, which is his 
body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. I would 
never, if possible, lose sight of this, because in the per¬ 
fect conviction and assurance of it must be found all our 
security and joy. And the way by which this blessed 
truth, under divine teaching, will be kept alive in the 
soul, is this : I would behold myself what I am by nature 
and practice in Adam, and connect with this view what 
I am by grace and faith in Christ. Now as Adam was 
the common head of all his seed in nature, equally so is 
Christ the common head of all his seed in grace. Do I 
consider that, when Adam sinned in the garden, I, as one 
of his children, and then (as scripture saith of Levi, in 
respect to his connection with Abraham) was in his loins, 
part of himself, and consequently implicated and in¬ 
volved in all the good or bad belonging to him ? then it 
will follow, that in Adam’s sin I sinned, and in Adam’s 
condemnation I was included. So then, as Adam did 
not transgress only for himself, but for all his seed by 
nature that should come from him; equally so when 
Christ fulfilled all righteousness, and when Christ expi¬ 
ated all sin by the sacrifice of himself, his seed were con¬ 
sidered righteous in him; and his expiatory sacrifice, 
as the Head of his people, must be, to all intents and 
purposes, the same as if they had been sacrificed with 
him. . Cherish this thought, my soul!. and never allow 
thyself to behold Christ as the Christ of God, in the capa¬ 
city of a private or single person, but as the Covenant- 
Head, the Father’s Chosen, the Sent, the Sealed, the 
Anointed of God, in whom all his members are one body 
in Christ. See that thou hast the Spirit of Christ, by 
which thou art proved to be one of his. And for the full 
enjoyment of all the blessings contained in this union 
and communion with thy glorious Head, daily and hourly 
remind God thy Father of all his covenant-promises made 
to Christ as the Head of his church and people, in which 


JULY 30. 


241 


the Lord hath said, “ I will pour my Spirit upon thy 
seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring.” 


My grace is sufficient for thee .—2 Cor. xii. 9. 

My soul! gather a rich cluster this morning of those 
precious fruits, which hang upon the Tree of Life—even 
upon Jesus. Thou wilt find their taste more sweet and 
pleasant than all the branches of the vine. Consider 
the fulness in thy Lord. Such a fulness, indeed, by vir¬ 
tue of the covenant-engagements in Jehovah, is treasured 
up in Christ, that all the grace every individual of his 
seed could possibly want in time, and all the glory here¬ 
after—all, all is lodged in him. What a thought is here ! 
Consider also the freeness of this grace. Never, surely, 
did God give any gift more free than when he gave his 
Son. And, as the apostle from hence justly reasons, 
“ He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up 
for us all, how shall he not with him freely give us all 
things ?” When, my soul, thou hast feasted thyself upon 
the fulness and freeness of the fruits of Jesus’s rich 
salvation, gather another rich portion for thyself, with 
the hand of faith, in the suitableness and sufficiency 
there is in him for thee. Take the sweet words spoken 
here to Paul, but not limited to Paul, as if personally 
addressed to thyself. It is Jesus now speaks and saith 
this day, “ My grace is sufficient for thee.” Which is as 
if he had said, All the grace I have is for my people; and 
I have not only enough for all, but for every one; and I 
have it for thee ; I have the very portion which I knew 
each would want every day, and all the day, through the 
whole of their pilgrimage state : from everlasting I knew 
their need ; and from everlasting I have laid every indi¬ 
vidual child’s portion by, and do keep it for him to the 
moment required: and each shall find a suited sufficiency 
exactly answering to all their wants, and corresponding 
to all their necessities. Precious thought! Henceforth, 
my soul, cast all thy care upon Jesus ! for thou now seest 
how he careth for thee. Morning by morning hear his 
voice, speaking personally to thyself, “ My grace is suffi¬ 
cient for thee.” 


21 



242 


JULY 31. 


Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, 
what of the night ?— Isaiah xxi. 11. 

While this solemn inquiry may be supposed to have 
peculiar reference, as addressed to the servants of the 
Lord, whom he hath set as watchmen upon the walls of 
Zion, may it not be made personally to every man’s bo¬ 
som also, as it refers to himself? And the repeating of 
it twice should seem to imply the importance and ear¬ 
nestness with which it should be followed up. My soul! 
what is the night with thee? Art thou watching in it 
more than they that watch for .the morning: yea, I say, 
more than they which watch for the morning ? How 
art thou exercising this watchfulness ? Is all safe respect¬ 
ing thine everlasting welfare ? Art thou watching the 
approaches of the enemy ? Art thou watchful in pray er ; 
watchful for the gracious moments of the Spirit’s helping 
thee in prayer; watchful in guiding thee in the exercise 
of it; watchful of the Lord’s gracious answers to prayer; 
and, like the prophet on the watch-tower, having given 
in thy petition to the heavenly court, into the hands of 
thy High-Priest and Intercessor, art thou waiting to see 
what the Lord will say unto thee ? Lord ! make me emi¬ 
nently watchful in these things. Go on, my soul, in this 
heart-searching inquiry. Art thou waiting and watching 
thy Lord’s return ? What of the night is it now ? May 
not Jesus come at even, or at midnight, or at cock-crow¬ 
ing, or in the morning ? Pause, my soul! Suppose his 
chariot-wheels were at the door, wouldst thou arise with 
holy joy, crying out, “ It is the voice of my Beloved, 
saying, Behold, I come quickly?” And wouldst thou 
answer, “ Even so, come, Lord Jesus ?” Oh! for grace 
to be of that happy number, of whom the.Lord himself 
saith, “Blessed are those servants whom, at his coming, 
he shall find so doing.” 



AUGUST 1. 


\ 

243 


AUGUST. 

In thy name shall they rejoice all the day: 
and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted. 

Psalm lxxxix. 16. 

See, my soul, what a blessed cause is again before 
thee to begin the month, and to carry it on through 
every day, and all the day, and in every part of the day, 
for joy in the name and righteousness of Jesus. And 
mark it with peculiar emphasis, that it is Jesus, as Jesus 
the Christ of God; and his righteousness as the right¬ 
eousness of God, in which all thy rejoicing is, and not 
in the finest frames or spiritual exercises of thine own. 
A daily sense of a need of Christ', and as constant a 
s t ense of acting faith upon Christ; these form the 
foundation of every true believer’s joy, and make the 
savour of Christ’s name like ointment poured forth. 
And whence is it, my soul, that all the redeemed are 
said to rejoice in the name of the Lord all the day, but 
because the Lord hath saved them and redeemed them 
for his name’s sake ? And whence is it said, that in 
his righteousness they shall be exalted, but because 
from their mjion with Christ, as their spiritual Head, 
they are accepted in his righteousness, and are made 
the righteousness of God in him ? Here’s an exaltation 
indeed, enough to make the heart of the most sorrow¬ 
ful glad, let outward circumstances be what they may, 
when inward joy and peace in believing give such a 
blessedness to the believer’s view of the name of Jesus. 
See to it then, my soul, that all thy fresh springs of joy 
are in him. Be very jealous over thyself, in the hap¬ 
piest moments of thy comfort, that Christ’s name, and 
his righteousness and salvation, lie at the bottom of thy 
joy. Where is Jesus ? I would ask my heart, when I 
am most at ease and happy ? Is He in this happiness? 
And is this happiness enjoyed, and enjoyed purely, 
because Christ is in it ? Trace this, my soul, through 
all the parts of salvation, and through all thy paths in 
grace, and see whether thou art bottoming every hope 
and every mercy, both for time and eternity, in the 
name and righteousness of Jesus only : for depend 


244 


AUGUST 2. 


upon it, as Jehovah hath said, in the pardoning and 
blotting out the transgressions of his people, “ I, even 
f, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for my 
name’s sakeso it is to the everlasting praise of his 
name, that all the glory of salvation is, and must be, 
ascribed. Nevertheless, he saved them for his name’s 
sake, that he might make his mighty power to be 
known! 


My Father is the husbandman .—John xv. 1. 

Blessed truth, and blessed assurance, to the true fol¬ 
lowers' of Jesus ! Yes, Almighty Father! I would pray 
for thy continual teaching, to behold thee as the Hus¬ 
bandman of thy vineyard the church, in which thou hast 
raised up the Plant of Renown, the man whose name is 
the Branch, the true Vine, in whom, and upon whom, 
and through whom, all thy redeemed, taken from the 
olive-tree that is wild by nature, are grafted, and 
bring forth fruit unto God. Yes, Almighty Father ! I 
would desire grace to behold thee, and while I behold, 
to love, to praise, to adore thee, that from everlasting 
thou hast graciously been the Husbandman of thy 
church. It was in thee, and from thee, as the contriver 
and appointer of all that concerned redemption, we 
trace the fountain and source of all that grace, mercy, 
peace, and favour here, with all the unknown treasures 
of glory hereafter, which thou hast placed in His most 
blessed hands, who is the Lord our Righteousness. In 
every renewed view of Jesus, as the true Vine which 
thou hast planted ; and in every renewed communica¬ 
tion from his fulness, nourishment, and life-imparting 
influences; may it be my happy portion, O Lord, to 
eye thee as the Husbandman, while I feel and know my 
union in Jesus as the Vine. And do thou, most gracious 
God and Father, condescend to act the part of the kind 
Husbandman still. Let thine eyes be upon me for good, 
as the Husbandman visits his vineyard. Water, Lord, 
with the heavenly dew of thy word and Spirit, the dry 
and languishing plantation. Oh! that the Lord may 
give showers of blessing, and that he may be to me as 



AUGUST 3. 


246 


the latter, and as the former rain, upon the barrenness 
of my heart. Preserve me, Lord, from the wild boar 
of the wood, even Satan, that he may never tread me 
down. Weed out, Lord, the briers and thorns, even 
the corruptions of my own heart, which would twine 
themselves with the tender branches. Arid lop off, O 
Lord, all the superfluous shoots, even the world’s en¬ 
ticements, which might prevent fruitfulness 1 in Jesus. 
In all things, blessed God and Father ! be thou the kind, 
the tender, the wise Husbandman, in doing for me what 
thou seest to be needful, however painful to flesh and 
blood the pruning dispensations and wintry providences 
may be found. Do thou purge, as Jesus hath said, 
every branch that beareth fruit, that it may bring forth 
more fruit: and by thy gracious Spirit so cause me to 
abide in Christ, and that Christ may abide in me, that 
thou, my God and Father, mayest be glorified in my 
bearing much fruit, to the praise of thy grace, wherein 
thou hast made me accepted in the Beloved ! 


Now I know that thou fearest God, seeing 
thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, 
from me.— Gen . xxii. 12. 

My soul! ponder these words. By whom were they 
spoken ? It is said by the angel of the Lord ! Probably 
the Messenger of the covenant: He who, in the fulness 
of time, was to make known, face to face, to all Abra¬ 
ham’s seed, the whole revelation of Jehovah concerning 
redemption ! It was a critical moment in Abraham’s 
life, and a trying moment to his faith. It is said, “Now 
I know.” Did not the Lord know before ? Oh ! yes ; 
but He that gave Abraham the faith, now afforded an 
opportunity for the exercise of it. My soul! how blessed 
is it to remark, that the largest gifts of grace are dispensed 
when there is the largest occasion for them. As thy 
days, so shall thy strength be. And, my soul, do not 
forget to remark also, that our Isaacs, our children, our 
earthly comforts, are jnost likely to be continued to us, 
when the Lord gives grace and faith to be most ready at 
21 * 



246 


AUGUST 4. 


his holy will to part with them. When I can say, 
Lord, all that thou hast given me is thine; and if thou 
art pleased to take all, or any part, back again, still it 
is thine own—not mine, but lent: oh! for grace, like 
Abraham, to bless a taking God, as well as a giving 
God, and to withhold nothing from him. Pause, my 
soul, one moment longer over this precious portion! 
Is there nothing more to be gathered from it ? Look 
again. Read it over once more. Pass beyond Abra¬ 
ham, and contemplate the God of Abraham, and see if 
thou canst not discover the infinite, unequalled, asto¬ 
nishing love of God the Father typified in this solemn 
transaction: and while we behold Abraham, at the 
call of God, giving up his son, his only son, may we 
not behold God, uncalled, unsought, and without any 
one cause but his own free everlasting love, giving up 
his only begotten Son, as a sacrifice for the redemp¬ 
tion of his people ? The patriarch gave up his son 
hut in intention: but God in reality. And, my soul, 
what oughtest thou now to say to God in the view of 
this transaction ? Methinks I find authority, from these 
sweet words, to make a paraphrase upon them, and to 
make application of them, for all and every circum¬ 
stance with which I may be exercised; and, looking 
up to God my Father in Christ Jesus, I would say, 
“Now, O Lord and Father, I know thou dost love a 
poor, sinful, unworthy worm as I am, seeing thou hast 
not withheld thy Son, thine only Son; from me !” 


And he led them forth by a right way, that 
they might go to a city of habitation. 

Psalm cvii. 7. 

My soul! what are thy daily exercises, concerning 
the way the Lord thy God is leading thee, through a wil¬ 
derness dispensation ? Art thou convinced that it is the 
right way ? What if it be a thorny way, a tempted way, 
frequently a dark way; yet art thou satisfied that it is 
the right way, because it is thorny, tempted, dark, and 
with numberless other exercises. This is the plan to 
judge by. And though, my soul, I trust thou hast 



AUGUST 5. 


247 


grace enough given thee to see and know, in thy cool 
hours of thought, that whatever thy God appoints must 
be right, and his holy will must be done ; yet there is 
an exercise of grace which goes much beyond these 
views of the subject, and which a believer is enabled 
to bring into practice, when he not only submits to a 
painful dispensation, but rejoiceth in it, because it is 
the right way. When he saith, I am afflicted: but 
afflictions are useful. I am in dark and trying circum¬ 
stances ; but these also are useful. I am buffeted by 
Satan : but this also I find to be right, because Christ 
is the more endeared thereby, and his strength is per¬ 
fected in my weakness ! My God is bringing me by 
a right way, to a city of habitation. Of this I am sure. 
And every step leading to the final attainment is already 
marked by infinite wisdom, and provided for by infinite 
love ,* and Jesus himself is with me through all the pil¬ 
grimage ! Hence then, I conclude that if at any time 
I am at a loss to see my way, to find comfort in my 
way, or if I am obstructed in my way; still it is the 
right way, because Jesus himself is the way, and his 
unerring wisdom is in the appointment! Oh! for 
grace in lively exercise, to be as satisfied now, of all 
the dispensations concerning the church and people, 
as when of r old in the wilderness ; the Lord is leading 
forth by a right way, to bring to a city of habitation, 
w r hose builder and maker is God. 


Therefore thus saith the Lord, I am returned 
to Jerusalem with mercies.— Zech. i. 16. 

My soul! think what a sad state that land, that church, 
that family, that heart, is in, where God withdraws but 
for a moment! This will be one way of rightly ap¬ 
preciating his presence. What a mercy, what an un¬ 
speakable mercy, is it when God returns ! For until he 
returns in grace, there will be no return to him in a way 
of seeking mercy. Pause, my soul, over the thought. 
Though a child of God loseth not the interest and favour 
of God in his covenant, because what unworthiness 
soever, as in ourselves, we must appear in before God, 



248 


AUGUST 6. 


yet in Christ there is an everlasting worthiness, in which 
his people are accepted and beloved; yet if the Lord 
suspends his gracious influences on the soul; if Jesus 
speaks neither by Urim nor Thummim; if the Holy 
Ghost, though at home in the heart, manifests not him¬ 
self to the heart; what shall the soul do ? Ordinances 
are nothing, if the God of ordinances be not in them. 
To look inward, the soul finds no peace. To look up¬ 
ward, there can be no comfort. For if the Lord com¬ 
mands the clouds to pour no rain upon his inheritance, 
their heaven is as brass, and their earth as iron. Hast 
thou, my soul, experienced trying seasons ; and though 
convinced of an interest in Jesus, hast thou languished 
after the sweet and blessed visits of his grace ? Listen, 
then, to this precious scripture: “I am returned, saith 
the Lord, unto Jerusalem with mercies.” Welcome, 
Lord, to my soul, to my heart! Thy presence is better 
than life itself. And the mercies thou hast brought 
with thee, in pardoning, quickening, renewing, reviving, 
comforting, strengthening me, will put more joy in my 
heart than thousands of gold and silver. There will 
be no barren ordinances, no barren hearts, no barren 
land, where our God comes. Thou hast said, “ I will 
be as the dew unto Israel.” Oh! what a revival in 
my poor heart; what a revival will thy presence make 
in my family! what a revival in thy churches ; what a 
revival in this dear land of our nativity ! Oh ! come, 
Lord Jesus, come in our midst; and let us hear thee 
say, “ I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies. Thou 
shalt no more be termed forsaken ; neither shall thy 
land any more be termed desolate: but thou shalt be 
called Hephzibah , and thy land Beulah; for the Lord 
delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married.” 


Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal 
upon thine arm : for love is strong as death; 
jealousy is cruel as the grave : the coals thereof 
are coals of fire which hath a most vehement 
flame .—Song viii. 6. 

IVTy soul! is this the language of thine heart to Jesus ? 



AUGUST G. 


249 


Yes, it is. Can any desire to be nearer Christ than thee? 
Can any long more to be worn as a signet upon his arm 
and to lie nearer his heart, than thee ? And can any 
desire more than thou dost, to be sealed with his Holy 
Spirit unto the day of redemption ? Surely, my soul, thou 
longest earnestly for these precious things, that that arm 
of Jesus, on which thou wouldst be set as a seal, may 
be ever clasping thee ; and that heart of thy Redeemer’s, 
upon which thou art engraved, as the high-priest bore 
the names of the people of Israel, maybe always folding 
thee, and bearing both thy person and thy wants-before 
the throne, and thus unceasing fellowship may abound 
with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And 
canst thou not say, as the church did to Jesus, “ For love 
is strong as death ; jealousy is cruel as the grave ?” For 
as death conquers all, and the grave admits of no rival, 
so thy love to Jesus, which he hath planted in thine 
heart, hath conquered thee ; and no rival, no partner, 
can divide the throne of thine heart with Jesus ! Every 
thing in thee, concerning Jesus, is as though on fire ; and 
all the flames of thine affection burn with this language : 
“Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none 
upon earth I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart 
faileth : thou art the strength of my heart, and thou art 
my portion for ever 1” But pause, my soul! Is there not 
somewhat, in those precious words of the morning, in 
which Jesus may be supposed to say the same to thee ? 
Surely! My soul, if thou lovest him, it is because he 
first loved thee! And if the real cry of thine heart is to 
be set as a seal upon his heart, and upon his arm, depend 
upon it is because he hath been beforehand with thee 
in both ! Precious Redeemer! and dost thou indeed bid 
me set thee in my heart, and on my arm ? Lord Jesus! 
I would wear thee in my heart; I would never, never 
suffer thee to depart from my arms ; I would feel thee 
inward , manifest thee by every outward testimony, and 
as seals upon the arm and upon the breast are in sight, 
so would I set thee always before me, and tell the whole 
earth whose I am, and whom I love ; that whither thou 
goest, I would go, and where thou dwellest I would 
dwell; for I am no longer my own, but am bought with 


250 


AUGUST 7. 


a price : therefore I would glorify God in my body, and 
in my spirit, .which are his. 


A friend that sticketh closer than a brother. 

Prov. xviii. 24. 

And who is this, my spul: indeed, who can it be, but 
Jesus ? None among the fallen race of Adam could ever 
redeem his brother, or, if he could, would have done it 
at the expense of his own soul. But Jesus did all this 
and more, when our cause was desperate, and gave him¬ 
self a ransom for his redeemed. Oh ! for grace to mark 
the features of his love. It began in eternity, it runs 
through all time, and continues everlasting. As Jesus 
is himself, so is he in his love ; the same yesterday, and 
to-day, and for ever. And how hath he shown it ? First 
by engagingas our Surety ; then paying all our debts ; 
fulfilling the whole law; purchasing our persons; under¬ 
taking for our duty; nay, even to the conquering the 
stubbornness of our nature, and making us willing to be 
saved in the day of his power ! And what is it now ? 
Having accomplished redemption for us by his blood, 
he is gone to take possession of a kingdom in our name. 
There he still manifests the Friend that sticketh closer 
than a brother; for he takes up all our causes, pleads 
our suits, and makes every case his own. And by and 
by he will come to take us to himself, that where he is, 
there we may be also. In the mean time, he supplies 
all our wants, and this with a freeness, fulness, suitable¬ 
ness, and all-sufficiency, that knows no bounds, to mani¬ 
fest the unalterable friendship which he bears us. He 
visits us continually, sympathizeth with us in all our 
afflictions, and increaseth with his tender love the en¬ 
joyment of all our comforts; and all this, and a thou¬ 
sand other nameless, numberless tokens, Jesus is' conti¬ 
nually showing, as proves that his whole heart and soul 
is ours. So that he is a faithful, loving, constant, power¬ 
ful, kind, everlasting, unchanging Friend, that sticketh 
closer than a brother! My soul! what wilt thou say to 
such a friend ? How wilt thou love him ! O precious 



AUGUST 8. 


251 


Lord ! when l think of thy love and my ingratitude ! 
But, Lord, it is thine to love, thine to pity, thine to par¬ 
don. Lord, give me grace to appropriate thee to myself: 
and while thou art still saying to me, and to thy church, 
“ I have called you friends”—may I say, « This is my 
Friend, and this is my Beloved, O daughters of Jeru¬ 
salem !” 


Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown 
of righteousness : which the Lord, the righteous 
Judge, shall give me at that day : and not to me 
only, but unto all them also that love his ap¬ 
pearing .—2 Timothy iv. 8. 

Pause, my soul, over this blessed verse, and mark the 
very weighty things contained in it. Many a soul is for 
deferring the thoughts of this great day of God, and con¬ 
cludes, that the justification of the sinner cannot be 
known until the day of judgment. But, my soul, see 
to it that thou art for bringing the firm and unshaken 
belief of it into immediate possession and enjoyment 
now; for surely Jesus hath effectually and fully provided 
for it. Whom he called, them he also justified: and 
whom he justified, them also he glorified. See to it 
then, my soul, that thou dost not suffer thyself to live a 
day, no, not an hour, in a state of uncertainty, upon a 
point of such infinite consequence, in which the pardon 
of thy sins, and the justification of thy person before 
God, is so highly concerned. If Jesus be thy surety, 
his righteousness and blood must be thy full justification 
before God, and his salvation as much now as it will 
ever be. Pause, then, and ask thine heart, Dost thou love 
his appearing ? Suppose the trump of God were this mo¬ 
ment to sound, wouldst thou love his appearing ? No 
doubt the moment would be solemn ; but would it not 
be glorious? Is Jesus thine ? his righteousness thine ? 
his blood thy ransom ? Wouldst thou love his appear¬ 
ing if .these things were sure ? And what makes them 
not sure ? Art thou looking to any other righteousness? 
Hastthou not disclaimed all other saviours ? Ask thyself 



252 


AUGUST 9. 


again : dost thou love his appearing, in the season of or¬ 
dinances, providences, retirements ; in his word, in the 
visits of his grace ; at his table, his house of prayer, 
among his churches, his people ? Dost thou love his 
appearing in the conversion of every poor sinner ; and 
doth the same make thee to rejoice over the recovery of 
such, as angels do, when one repents? My soul, let 
these things be among thy daily meditations concerning 
Jesus ; for then will thy meditation of him be sweet. 
And by thus making the justification of thy person in 
the blood and righteousness of Jesus thy daily comfort, 
thou wilt be prepared to love his appearing, in death, and 
finally at judgment; that when the Master comes, and 
calleth for thee, thou mayest arise with holy joy, and 
mount up to meet the Lord in the air, and receive that 
crown of Jesus’s righteousness which fadeth not away. 


And the fire upon the altar shall be burning 
in it: it shall not be put out. The fire shall 
ever be burning upon the altar : it shall never 
go out.— Levit. vi. 12, 13. 

Pause, my soul! Behold the precept in one verse, and 
the promise in the other. The Israelite was not to put 
out this altar-fire ; and Jehovah promised that it should 
never go out. Neither did it, through all the Jewish 
church, until Christ came* And if it be true that it ac¬ 
tually did expire (as it is said it did) the very year Christ 
died, what is this but a confirmation of the grand truths 
of God concerning the putting away sin by the blood of 
Christ ? For is not fire an emblem, through all the scrip¬ 
tures, of Jehovah’s displeasure against sin ? Is not God 
said to be a consuming fire ? And by its burning, and 
that miraculously preserved under all the Jewish dispen¬ 
sation, is it not meant to .manifest Jehovah’s perpetual 
wrath, burning like fire against sin ? And as the fire was 
never extinguished upon the altar, notwithstanding the 
numerous sacrifices offered, can any thing more decidedly 
prove the inefficacy of sacrifices under the law, how ex¬ 
pensive soe ver they were, to take away sin ? And is the 



AUGUST 10. 


253 


fire now gone out ? Hath God himself indeed put it out ? 
Then hath he accepted that one offering of the body of 
Jesus Christ once for all, who came to put away sin, and 
hath for ever put it away by the sacrifice of himself. 
Hail! thou great, thou glorious, thou everlasting Re¬ 
deemer ! Thou art indeed both the High-priest and the 
Altar, both the Sacrifice and the Sacrificer, whose one 
offering hath both put out the fire of divine wrath, and 
caused the holy flame of love and peace to burn in its 
stead, which hath kindled in every heart of thy people. 
Yes, yes, thou Lamb of God! it is thou which hast de¬ 
livered us from the wrath to come ! Thou hast made our 
peace in the blood of thy cross. Thou hast quenched, 
by thy blood, the just fire of divine indignation against 
sin. Thou hast quenched no less all the fiery darts of 
Satan. Thou hast subdued the flaming enmity of our 
hearts, with all their fiery lusts and burning affections. 
What shall I say to thee, what shall I say o^thee, what 
shall I proclaim concerning thee, O thou, the Lord our 
Righteousness ? Lord, help me to begin the song, and 
never suffer sin or Satan—nay, death itself—for a mo¬ 
ment to make an interruption in the heavenly note; but 
let thy name fill my whole soul, and vibrate on my dying 
lips, that I may open my eyes in eternity, while the 
words still hang there : To Him who hath loved us , and 
washed us from our sins in his own blood , and made us 
kings and priests unto God and the Father; to him be 
glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. 


Who hath saved us, and called us with an 
holy calling, not according to our works, but 
according to his own purpose and grace, which 
was given us in Christ Jesus before the world 
began .—2 Timothy i. 9. 

Mark, my soul, all the precious things, if thou hast 
power or time to do so, which are contained in this 
blessed scripture. Eternity itself will not be sufficient 
to allow space to enumerate them; neither will thy 
ripened faculties, even when full-blown and full-fruited, 
22 



254 


AUGUST 11. 


be found sufficient to enter into the complete apprehen¬ 
sion of them all. Who is it that is here said to have 
saved us, and called us with a holy calling, but the 
holy, glorious, undivided Jehovah, existing in a threefold 
character of persons—Father, Son, and Holy Ghost? 
For all have concurred in that blessed work ; and all, in 
the essence of the One Jehovah, must have the joint 
praise and the joint glory to all eternity. Well, then, 
put thy salvation down to this glorious account; it is 
God who hath saved and called thee. Next, mark the 
order here set forth. Thou art said to be saved before 
thou art said to be called. Mark that! salvation precedes 
our knowledge of it. The covenant engagements of the 
almighty Covenanters took place from everlasting. For 
so saith the apostle concerning the hopes of happiness 
founded on salvation : “ In hope,” saith he, “ of eternal 
life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the 
world began.” Next, my soul, take notice of the call 
itself. It is an holy call; for we are called to the fel¬ 
lowship and communion of Jesus Christ. And as He 
who hath called us is holy, so are we called to be holy, 
in all manner of conversation and godliness. See to it, 
my soul, that thy fellowship and communion is in the 
holiness and sin-atoning blood of Jesus. Lastly, never, 
my soul, lose sight of the cause of these unspeakable 
mercies—no, not for a moment. We are saved, and 
called, not according to our works, but according to his 
purpose. Hence, what is God’s gift, cannot be man’s 
merit; and what resulted from infinite love, from all 
eternity, cannot flow from creature-love in time. Blessed 
purpose, and blessed grace ! and thrice blessed, being 
given to us in God’s dear Son, even Christ Jesus, before 
the world began ! 


By faith Abel offered unto God a more ex¬ 
cellent sacrifice than Cain.— Heb. xi. 4. 

The Holy Ghost hath here marked down, by his ser¬ 
vant the apostle, in the very first offerings which we read 
of in the Bible, the vast importance of faith ; by which 



AUGUST 12. 


265 


it most decidedly proves, that it is faith which gives 
efficacy to all the offerings of his creatures. Faith in 
what ? Nay—there can be but one view of faith 
throughout the word of God, namely, faith in the pro¬ 
mised Seed, to bruise the serpent’s head. This was 
the first promise which came in upon the fall. Every 
offering therefore offered unto God, unless it had an 
eye to this, became offensive. Cain did not offer the 
first fruit of the ground with an eye of faith in Christ 
—hence he was the first Deist the world ever knew. 
Abel, by faith, offered the firstlings of his flock with an 
eye to Jesus—and hence the testimony that God re¬ 
spected his offering. What a striking evidence is here, 
my soul, of the vast and infinite importance of faith. 
Cain made an offering to God, and, by so doing, he did, 
as the Deists now do, acknowledge God to be his Cre¬ 
ator, but not looking to him as a Redeemer, and there¬ 
by intimating that he needed none, both his person and 
his offering were rejected. Meditate on this, my soul; 
and learn, by grace, to mix faith in all that concerns thy 
soul. Oh ! keep an eye on Jesus, convinced that there 
is no other name under heaven, given among men, 
whereby we must be saved. And if, through the gra¬ 
cious teachings of the Spirit, in taking of the things of 
Jesus, and showing unto thee, thou art able daily to ap¬ 
prehend by faith, and bring him, as the bee doth from 
the flower, his person, his work, his character, his rela¬ 
tions, his grace and righteousness, as the Sent, and 
Sealed, and Anointed of the Father, full of grace and 
truth; by thus living upon him, and living to him, and 
making him what he is to all his people, the Alpha 
and Omega of thy salvation, faith in him will give a 
sweet leaven to all thy poor prayers, and praises, and 
offerings, and thou wilt find favour with God, to the 
praise of the glory of his grace, who maketh thee ac¬ 
cepted in the Beloved ! 

To the chief singer on my stringed instru¬ 
ments .—Habakkuk iii. 19. 

My soul! take down thine harp from the willow ; and 



256 


AUGUST 13. 


now the night is past, let the first of the morn find thee 
going forth, in the matin of praise, to the Chief Singer 
on all the instruments of his grace, which he hath strung 
thine heart to use to his glory. And who is this Chief 
Singer, but Jesus? Doth not the prophet say, “The 
Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like 
hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk in mine high 
places ?” Surely he that is the Lord God of my salvation 
is the Chief Singer, and Chief Musician, of my song. 
And he that will be my portion, my everlasting portion, 
in the upper world, will be my strength and song in this. 
Surely David would not have directed, as he hath, in 
such numberless places, his Psalms to a singer among 
men, in the temple-service, when the whole scope of 
the psalm itself treats of the Lord, and of his Christ. 
The root of the word singer or musician, itself, means 
the end. And Christ is the end of the law, for right¬ 
eousness to every one that believeth. Come then, my 
soul, strike up this morning thy hymn of praise. God 
the Holy Ghost is exciting thee. It is he which points 
to Jesus. He shows thee the King in his beauty, and 
bids thee behold his suitableness, transcendent excellen¬ 
cies, grace, love, favour, glory. Carry then, all thy con¬ 
cerns to this Chief Musician. Put forth all thy strength 
to praise him, that while Jesus is attentive to the hallelu¬ 
jahs of heaven, he may hear thy feeble note, amidst all 
the songs which are offered him, giving glory to his great 
name, from the uttermost part of the earth. Follow the 
prophet’s example; and let the goings forth of thy warm¬ 
est desires be to the Chief Singer on thy stringed instru¬ 
ments “ The Lord is my strength and my shield ; my 
heart trusted in him, and I am helped; therefore my heart 
greatly rejoiceth, and in my song will I praise him.” 


And every oblation of thy meat-offering shalt 
thou season with salt; neither shalt thou suf¬ 
fer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be 
lacking from thy meat-offering: with all thine 
offerings thou shalt offer salt .—Leviticus ii. 13. 

Ponder over these words, my soul; and looking up for 



AUGUST 14. 


257 


grace, and the divine teachings, see whether Jesus is not 
sweetly typified here. Was not Jesus the whole sum 
and substance of every offering under the law ? The 
Holy Ghost taught the church this, when he said, the 
law was a shadow of good things to come, but the body 
is of Christ! And did not the church, by faith, behold 
him as the Salt which seasoned and made savoury the 
whole ? Moreover, as all the sacrifices were wholly di¬ 
rected to typify Him who knew no sin, but became sin 
for his people, the seasoning the sacrifice with salt, which 
was also a type of Christ’s purity and sinlessness, became 
a sweet representation, to denote that the sinner, when 
he came with his offering, came by faith; to intimate 
that he looked for acceptance in the Lord as his sacrifice, 
and for preservation in the salt of his grace, in Christ 
Jesus. And who then, among believers now, would 
ever approach without an eye to Jesus, and the seasoning 
with this salt all his poor offerings. Lord, grant that 
the Salt of the covenant of my God may never be lack¬ 
ing : for where Jesus is not, there can be no acceptance. 
Lord, let me have this salt in myself, and may every 
renewed presentation of myself be there salted. Then 
shall I be as the salt of the earth, amidst not only the 
putrefaction of the world, but the corruptions of my 
own heart. Lord, say to us, and impart the blessing of 
thyself in saying it, Have salt in yourselves: and then 
shall we have peace with thee, and with one another. 


And shall not God avenge his own elect, 
which cry day and night unto him, though he 
bear long with them ? I tell you that he will 
avenge them speedily .—Luke xviii. 7, 8. 

My soul! mark, for thy encouragement, in all thine 
approaches to a throne of grace, what Jesus here speaks, 
and never lose sight of it. Remember how well ac¬ 
quainted He, who came out of the bosom of the Father, 
must be with the Father’s mind and will towards his 
people, over and above the gracious exercise of his 
priestly office, in their behalf. Now, my soul, do mark 



258 


AUGUST 16. 


down distinctly what blessed things are here promised. 
First —God’s people are said in it to be his elect, his 
chosen, his jewels. This people, saith God, I have 
formed for myself; they shall show forth my praise. 
Secondly —God’s people are a praying people: they cry 
day and night to him ; they are unceasing in their appli¬ 
cations ; and they wrestle, like their father Jacob, in 
prayer. Lord, I will not let thee go except thou bless 
me. Give me Jesus, and in him I shall have all things. 
He will subdue this corruption: he will soften this af¬ 
fliction ; he will conquer Satan, and, with him, all his 
temptations. Thirdly —God’s people will and must be 
exercised. There will be sometimes long silence at the 
throne- The enemy will endeavour to improve this to 
strengthen his temptation: he will suggest, God hath 
forgotten thee; he will return no more: he hath cast 
thee off. Lastly —Mark what Jesus ^aith : “ Shall not 
God avenge his own elect, who cry day and night unto 
him, though he bear long with them ?”—“Yes, yes ! he 
will, I tell you,” saith One w r ho could not be mistaken; 
“he will avenge them, and that speedily.” When the 
hour of deliverance comes, it shall come so sudden, so 
sweet, so unexpected, that all their long waiting shall 
be forgotten ; and it shall seem as if that promise of an¬ 
swering before they called was in it. And he will not 
only bless them, but avenge them of their foes. And 
whence all this, my soul, but because he is the Father 
of mercies, and God of all consolation. His people are 
his chosen, the gift of his love, the purchase of Jesus’s 
blood, the conquests of his Holy Spirit. Lord, cause 
me ever to keep those precious things in remembrance, 
and to hang on, and hold out, and never, never,’to give 
over pleading in Jesus, until I hear that precious voice, 
“ Be it unto thee, even as thou wilt.” 


The good will of him that dwelt in the bush. 

Deut. xxxiii. 16. 

And who is this, my soul; who indeed can it be, but 
Jesus ? Surely He is the glorious person. It was good 
will, in the highest possible instance of it, that prompted 



AUGUST 15. 


259 


his infinite mind, from everlasting, to love his people, to 
engage for them in suretiship engagements,and to stand 
up and come forth, at the call of God the Father, as 
the Head of his body the church. It was a continuation 
of the same good will which prompted him, in the ful¬ 
ness of time, to assume our nature for the purposes of 
fulfilling those engagements. Then it was, indeed, he 
dwelt in the bush; for what is our nature, at the best, 
but a poor dry bramble bush, fit for burning ? But 
yet, by Christ in it, so sustained and so preserved, that 
though the bush burns with fire, even the fiery lusts of 
our corruptions, and the fiery darts of the wicked, and 
all the fiery opposition of the world, it shall not be con¬ 
sumed. Precious Jesus! what good will hast thou shown, 
dost thou show, and everlastingly wilt show, to our poor 
nature, since thou hast been in it; and art now, indeed, 
the dweller in it! And did Moses, when dying, thus 
connect the first views of thy love, when from the burn¬ 
ing bush thou didst make thyself known to him, as God 
tabernacling in our flesh for the purpose of salvation, 
with his last views as he was closing his eyes to this 
world, and looking up to thee as God-man Mediator, and 
thus pray for thy good will to the church ? Oh, then let 
my every day meditation do the same ! Lord Jesus ! I 
would seek thee and thy good will beyond all the riches 
of the earth, and all the enjoyments of the world. Lord! 
I would never forget that it was thy good will which 
brought thee down from heaven ; thy good will, which 
prompted thee to die, to rise again, for poor sinners: 
thy good will which makes thee wash them from all 
their sins in thy blood ; all the visits of thy grace here, 
all the glories of redemption hereafter; all are the pur¬ 
chase and the result of thy good will. Precious Lord! 
do thou, day by day, grant me renewed tokens of thy 
good will; and let those visits be so gracious, so sweet, 
and so continued, that I may think of nothing else, 
speak of nothing else, but the good will of my Dweller 
in the bush. I would pray for grace to spend all the 
moments of my life here, in receiving from thee grace 
and love, and bringing to thee love and praise, until 
thou shalt take me home to live at the fountain of thy 
good will, and the whole happiness of eternity consist 


260 


AUGUST 16—17. 


in the praises of God and the Lamb, and in enjoying 
the good will of Him. that dwelt in the bush. 


I am black, but comely .—Song i. 5. 

See, my soul, whether thine experience corresponds 
to that of the church. Hast thou learnt from God the 
Spirit what thou art in thyself? Art thou truly sensible 
of the many sins and corruptions which lurk under fair 
appearances, and that, from carrying about with thee a 
body of sin and death, as the apostle said he did, in thee, 
that is, in thy flesh, dwelleth no good thing ? Dost thou 
appear not only black in thine own view, but art thou 
despised for Christ’s sake, and counted the oflscouring 
of all things in the view of the world? Pause, my 
soul! Now look at the bright side. Art thou comely 
in Christ’s righteousness, which he hath put upon thee ? 
Comely in the sweet sanctifying grace of the Holy Ghost 
dwelling in thee ? Comely in the eyes of God the Fa¬ 
ther, from being accepted in Jesus the Beloved ? Comely 
in church communion and fellowship, walking in the 
fear of God, and under the comforts of the Holy Ghost? 
What sayest thou, my soul, to these sweet but soul- 
searching testimonies ? If thou canst now take up the 
language of the church, “ I am black, but comely;” 
lowly in thine own eyes, self-loathing, self-despising, 
self-abhorring ; but in Jesus rejoicing, and in his salva¬ 
tion triumphing, all the day; think, my soul, what will 
it be when the King, in whose comeliness thou art 
comely, shall take thee home, as a bride adorned for 
her husband, and thou shalt then be found, not having 
spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but shalt be ever¬ 
lastingly holy, and without blame before him in love. 


The dead shall hear the voice of the Son 
of God: and they that hear shall live. 

John v. 25. 

What a promise is here! and what an encouragement 
for every dead sinner to hope, and for every living saint 




AUGUST 18. 


261 


who is interested for dead sinners, not to despair. Ob¬ 
serve, my soul, the extensiveness of the mercy : it is the 
dead. Why all are dead in trespasses and sins. Is 
there not hope then for all ? And they that hear shall 
live. Why then every sinner should ask his heart, Do 
I hear? But, my soul! mark how this is done. It is 
by the voice of the Son of God. Yes; there is salvation 
in no other. He saith himself, “ I am the resurrection 
and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were 
dead, yet shall he live : and whosoever liveth, and be¬ 
lieveth in me, shall never die.” But, my soul, while 
taking comfort from this blessed passage, as it concerns 
poor dead sinners, ask thine own heart whether thou 
hast been the happy partaker of it thyself. Hast thou 
heard the voice of the Son of God? Yes; if so be thou 
livest in him, and upon him, and walkest with him. 
Jesus’s voice is a quickening voice, a life-giving voice, a 
soul-feeding, soul-strengthening, heart-warming, heart¬ 
breaking, heart-melting voice ! What sayest thou, my 
soul, to these examinations ? Oh ! if Jesus’s voice hath 
been ever heard by thee, thou wilt be desiring the re¬ 
newal of it from day to day ; and thou wilt be saying, in 
the earnest language of the church, “ Let me hear thy 
voice, let me see thy countenance ; for sweet is thy voice, 
and thy countenance is comely.” 


Give strong drink unto him that is ready 
to perish, and wine to those that be of heavy 
hearts. Let him drink, and forget his poverty, 
and remember his misery no more. 

Prov. xxxi. 6, 7. 

What is the strong drink of the gospel but the cove¬ 
nant-love, faithfulness, and grace of Jehovah ? And 
what is the wine of the gospel but the love of Jesus, 
which the church saith is better than wine ? Tell a poor 
sinner, that is ready to perish, of God the Father’s ever¬ 
lasting love towards his people, who were all by nature 
sinners ready to perish, when God passed by and bid 



262 


AUGUST 19. 


them live. Tell them that such was God’s love, that he 
gave his only begotten Son, to the end that all that be¬ 
lieve in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 
Tell them of Jesus, his Godhead, his Manhood—both 
natures united in one Person, forming one Christ. Tell 
them, that faith in his blood will save the soul; that God 
the Father hath respect only to the Person and worth of 
his dear Son; and that for his sake, and his sake alone, 
the greatest saint, and the greatest sinner, if believers, 
are alike saved. This is strong drink ; and a poor per¬ 
ishing sinner needs the cordial. Neither will the heavy 
in heart be any more sad, that thus is made to drink of 
the wine of the gospel. My soul! hast thou tasted of 
this strong drink ? Oh, then, take the cup of salvation, 
and call upon the name of the Lord ! Drink of this cup 
which Jesus puts into thine hand, and, in his riches, 
forget thy poverty; and in his free, and full, and finished 
redemption, remember thine own misery no more. Live 
only to Jesus, and let him be thy strong drink, thy wine 
and thy cordial for ever. 


My beloved is white and ruddy .—Song v. 10. 

Pause, my soul, and contemplate thy Redeemer this 
morning, under this engaging description of his person. 
It opens a delightful subject for meditation in several 
points of view. Jesus is white and ruddy, if considered 
in his human nature only. He might be said to be white, 
in reference to the immaculate holiness of his body, un¬ 
derived as it was from a sinful stock like ours. He was 
born of the Virgin Mary by the miraculous conception 
of the Holy Ghost, and therefore emphatically called, 
that Holy Thing : agreeably to all which, his whole life 
was without sin, or shadow of imperfection. “ Such an 
High-Priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, 
separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens.” 
Hence Jesus was truly white as the Lamb of God, with¬ 
out blemish, and without spot. And was he not ruddy 
also, in his bloody sufferings, when his head was crowned 
with thorns, and his side pierced on the cross ? Was he 
not ruddy in the garden, when his agony was so great 



AUGUST 20. 


263 


as to force blood through all the pores of his sacred body, 
which fell in great drops to the ground ! Behold, my 
soul, thy Beloved, in both these views, and say, Is he 
not white and ruddy? But do not stop here. Look at 
him again, and contemplate the Lord Jesus as the Christ 
of God, in his two natures, divine and human, and say, 
in the union of both, Is he not white and ruddy ? What 
can set forth the glories of the Godhead, to our apprehen¬ 
sion, more lovely, than the purity of whiteness, which, as 
in the mount of transfiguration, became a brightness too 
dazzling for mortal sight to behold? And what can re¬ 
present the human nature more strikingly than the ruddi¬ 
ness of the countenance ? Adam, the first man, takes 
his very name from hence ; for Adam, or Adamah, signi¬ 
fies red earth. And such, then, was Jesus. And is he 
then, my soul, white and ruddy to thy view ? And is he 
also thy beloved ? Oh, then, let him be thy morning, 
noon-day, evening, midnight meditation: and let him be 
sweet to thee, as he is to his church and people*—the 
Beloved who is white and ruddy. 


Within the vail, whither the forerunner is 
for us entered, even Jesus.— Heb. vi. 19, 20. 

Pause over these words, my soul, this morning. Is 
the vail removed ? Was the vail rent in twain, from the 
top to the bottom, in the hour that Christ died ? And 
did Jesus, as thy High-Priest, with all his blood, then, 
enter into the place not made with hands» having ob¬ 
tained eternal redemption for us ? Did he enter too as 
thy Forerunner? Pause over this thought—it is a sweet 
one. Is Jesus still there ? Nay, my soul, look in and 
see. He calls thee to look unto him—nay, to follow 
him, having boldness to enter into the holiest by his 
blood, in the new and living way which he hath conse¬ 
crated for us through the vail, that is to say, his flesh. 
And what canst thou see there ? Within the vail of the 
Jewish temple there was the golden censer, and the ark 
of the covenant, and the golden pot that had manna, and 
Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant; 



264 


AUGUST 21. 


and over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercy- 
seat. But within that vail, whither our Forerunner is 
entered, look up, my soul, and see Jesus with the golden 
censer of his own merits and blood; and not the symbols 
of the covenant only, but he himself the whole of the 
Covenant, God the Father hath given him for the people; 
not merely manna, but himself, the living bread, the 
bread of God, of which whosoever eateth shall live for 
ever; not the rod of Aaron, but the rod of his power, 
to make poor sinners willing in the day of his power; 
not the cherubims of glory, but himself, the mercy-seat, 
the propitiatory, the sacrifice, High-Priest, and all in all. 
Look up, my soul; look in, my soul; go in, my soul, 
after him, by faith, and contemplate him as thy Fore¬ 
runner ; and while all thy faculties, in grace and faith, 
are going forth in the most lively exercise, hear him say, 
and let his words sink deeper and deeper in thine unceas¬ 
ing remembrance, “ I only go to prepare for you a place. 
I will come again, and receive you to myself, that where 
I am, there you may be also.” Hail, thou glorious Fore¬ 
runner, who art made an High-Priest for ever, after the 
order of Melchisedek! 


Fear not; for they that be with us are 
more than they that be with them. 

2 Kings vi. 16. 

My soul ! never lose sight of this, which was shown 
to the prophet’s servant in his fright. Though thou seest 
not, with bodily eyes, the mountain full of horses and 
chariots of fire in thy defence; yet, with thy spiritual 
eyes, thou mayest see, infinitely beyond all this, as sur¬ 
rounding thee at all times and in all places, God thy Fa¬ 
ther, with all his divine attributes and perfections, all 
engaged, all made over, all pledged in covenant engage¬ 
ments, in Jesus, for thy defence, protection, comfort, 
security, and guiding thee in all things. There is more 
in that one assurance than in a thousand worlds, I will be 
thy God —and all in Jesus : yea and amen. Then, more¬ 
over, thou hast God thy Redeemer with thee, with all 



AUGUST 22. 


265 


his fulness, all his grace, all his love—his whole heart, 
his whole soul thine. And thou hast God the Holy 
Ghost, with all his influences, gifts, teachings, quicken- 
ings, consolations, strengthenings. All these are with 
thee ; to say nothing of angels, which are ministering 
spirits, set forth to minister unto them which are heirs of 
salvation. Surely God’s attributes, Jesus’s graces, the 
Holy Ghost’s comforts, being all thine own, and always 
with thee; let what armies of men, or legions of evil 
spirits, assault thee—unbelief, or fear, or doubt, or mis¬ 
giving ; let nothing drive out the recollection, nor remove 
thy confidence: fear not; for they that be with thee 
are more than all that can be against thee. Hallelujah ! 
Amen. 


Seeking for Jesus .—John vi. 24. 

This, my soul, should be thy constant employment. 
Wherever thou art, however engaged ; in going in, or 
out; at rising up, or lying down ; whether m public or 
private, in the church or market-place; the closet, the 
family, the garden, the field, the house ; the question 
ever arising in the heart should be, Where is Jesus ? 
Blessed Spirit! thou glorifier of my Lord ! wilt thou 
constantly excite this seeking for Jesus in my heart ? 
Wilt thou, Lord, give me every moment a sense of need, 
then a view of his fulness, suitableness, readiness, to im¬ 
part ; then bring Him, whom my soul loveth, and me 
together; and then open a communication in leading 
me forth in desire, and giving me faith to receive, from 
the infinite fulness of my Lord, and grace for grace ? 
Lord Jesus! I would desire grace to seek thee, as for 
hidden treasure. I would seek thee, and thee only, O 
my God! I would separate myself from all other things. 
It is Jesus my soul chooseth, my soul needs. I would 
trust in nothing beside. No duties, no works ; neither 
prayers nor repentance ; no, nor faith itself, considered 
as an act of my soul, shall be my comfort, but Jesus 
alone I would make my centre ; and every thought, and 
every affection, and every desire, like so many streams 
meeting in one, should all pour themselves, as rivers, into 



268 


AUGUST 23. 


the ocean of thy bosom ! And the nearer, as a stream 
that draws near the sea is propelled to fall into it, so the 
more forcible and vehement let my soul be in desires 
after thee, as my soul draweth near the hour of seeing 
thee. 0 Lamb of God ! give me to be seeking after 
thee through life, pressing after thee from one ordinance 
to another; and when ordinances cease, and all outward 
comforts fail, then, Lord, may I gather up (as the dying 
patriarch did his feet in the bed) all my strength, and 
pour my whole soul into thine arms, crying out, I have 
waited for thy salvation , O Lord! 


The beloved physician.— Coloss. iv. 14. 

My soul! catch a thought of what the apostle here 
speaks of the servant, to think of the Master ! If Luke 
the physician was beloved, how much more so ought 
Jesus to be by thee in this sweet character. The Son of 
God.came, as the great Physician .of the soul, to heal all 
that were diseased, to bind up the broken heart, to give 
sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 
and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord ! My 
soul, dost thou know Jesus in this tender and affectionate 
office ? Hath he examined thy ease, made thee sensible 
of thy disease ; and art thou, through his mercy, restored 
to health ? Though, through shame and fear at the first, 
you would never have made known your case to him, 
had he not first, of his own free accord, called upon 
you, yet hath he done so. Have you heard him asking 
the tender question, Wilt thou he made whole ? And 
have you rejoiced to come under his care ? Do you 
know what it is to have his blood applied to heal the 
wounds of sin, his righteousness to cover them, his grace 
to refresh under them, and his name, as ointment poured 
forth, to make a fragrancy from all uncleanness ? More¬ 
over, hath Jesus shown to thee the freeness of his reme¬ 
dies, without payment, without money, and without 
price ? And doth he do all this, and a thousand affec¬ 
tionate offices beside, which belong to the Physician call¬ 
ing himself by that endearing name, Jehovah Rhophi, I 
am the Lord that healeth thee ? No longer let it be said 



AUGUST 24. 


267 


then, Is there no balm in Gilead—no physician there ? 
but tell to every poor sin-sick soul, Jesus is the beloved 
Physician, who visits the poor and the needy, and 
heals all manner of sickness, and all manner of disease, 
among the people. He hath healed me! 


God, according to his promise, hath raised 
unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus .—Acts xiii. 23. 

Mark, my soul, the blessedness of these words. 
Jesus is not only Israel’s Saviour, and hath fully an¬ 
swered, in every point, to that glorious character, but 
here we are led to discover his credentials. This is 
faith’s warrant—1 believe in Jesus. Why? He brings 
with him the name, the authority, the commission of 
God the Father. Jesus is the appointment, the ordi¬ 
nance, the method Jehovah hath sent forth for salvation. 
Sweet thought! So that, added to all that I behold in 
the Lord Jesus adapted to my case and circumstances, 
I here see that Jesus as the Father’s Gift, the Fa¬ 
ther’s Sent, the Father’s Anointed, full of grace and 
truth! Jesus is therefore the great Promise of the 
Bible; for in him are folded up and contained all the 
promises. And I see, also, that God our Father was, 
and is, the great Promiser! And I see that God not 
only gave this rich Saviour to poor sinners, but, accord¬ 
ing to his promise, raised him up also from the dead, 
when he had made his soul an offering for sin, to bless 
them: for it is said, that he was delivered for our of¬ 
fences, and raised again for our justification. My soul! 
pause over this blessed account, and look for thine 
own interest in it. If God hath raised up to Israel this 
Saviour, what knowest thou of him ? Hast thou felt 
thy need of a Saviour ? Dost thou accept the Father’s 
Saviour ? Is Jesus thy Saviour ? Art thou come to him 
for salvation? Now God the Father hath raised him 
up, doth he appear to thee in all his beauties, fulness, 
suitableness, and complete salvation ? 





268 


AUGUST 25. 


And his servants shall serve him. And they 
shall see his face ; and his name shall be in 
their foreheads.— Rev. xxii. 3, 4. 

Mark these characters, my soul! Jesus hath servants ; 
and they are distinguished from the world. They serve 
him. What is it to serve Christ ? The prophet hath 
described.. Free grace hath made them servants, in 
bringing them from the bondage of corruption into the 
glorious liberty of the sons of God; and therefore he 
saith, in the Lord’s name, “ My servants shall eat, but ye 
shall be hungry; my servants shall drink, but ye shall 
be thirsty; my servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be 
ashamed; my servants shall sing for joy of heart, but 
ye shall cry for sorrow of heart.” How distinguishing 
these characters ! God’s servants have the table of Jesus 
to sit down to; the bread of life, the bread of God, the 
living bread, which is Jesus himself, to feed upon. They 
shall drink also ; for he that is their living bread is their 
living water also—even the water of life, of which who¬ 
soever drinketh shall thirst no more; but it shall be in 
him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. 
The servants of the Lord shall rejoice, and sing for joy 
of heart also! Yes; the kingdom of God is not meat 
and drink, but righteousness, and peace, and joy, in the 
Holy Ghost. Neither is this all. The servants of the 
Lord shall see his face. They do now, by faith, in his 
word, in his ordinances, in his manifestations, visits, 
grace, providences ! And, by and by, when this vail 
of covering, cast over all people, is totally taken down 
and removed at death, they shall have a glorious view 
of the King in his beauty by sight. Moreover, his 
name is said to be in their foreheads. Yes, it is so: 
the image of Christ is impressed upon them, “ Holiness 
to the Lord” was engraven on the mitre of Aaron’. 
Beholding, as in a glass, the glory of the Lord, they are 
changed into the same image from glory to glory, even 
as by the Spirit of the Lord. My soul, what sayest thou 
to these evidences ? Are they thine ? Canst thou take 
the comfort of them to thyself? 



AUGUST 26. 


269 


The God of our fathers hath glorified his 
Son Jesus .—Acts iii. 13. 

See, my soul, how every part and portion of scripture 
is directed to this one subject—to glorify the Lord Jesus! 
What is the very design of redemption, but to glorify 
the Lord Jesus? What hath God constituted a church 
for, but to glorify the Lord Jesus ? To what do all 
precepts, promises, ordinances, sacrifices, under the law, 
and institutions under the gospel, minister, but to this 
one end—to glorify the Lord Jesus ? Talk they of pro¬ 
mises ? Why, all the promises of God are, in Christ 
Jesus, yea and amen, to the glory of God the Father by 
us. Talk they of the law ? Christ is the end of the law 
for righteousness to every one that believeth. Talk they 
of commandments ? This is the commandment—that ye 
believe in the name of the only begotten Son of God; 
and that believing, ye might have life through his name. 
And how hath the God of our fathers glorified his Son 
Jesus, in giving him as a Covenant to the people ? Hath 
He not constituted him the glorious Head, the Mediator, 
the Husband, the Lord, the Prophet, the Priest, the 
King, of his people ? How hath he glorified him in his 
person, offices, characters, relations ? How hath he 
carried him through all the parts of redemption, in his 
incarnation, ministry, miracles, obedience, life, death, 
resurrection, ascension ; and in all his triumphs over 
sin and Satan, death, hell, and the grave ? And having 
constituted him the universal and eternal Lord of all, 
commands that every knee should bow before him, and 
every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the 
glory of God the Father ! And is there any thing left, 
by which the God of our fathers might manifest that he 
hath glorified his Son Jesus? Yes! there is one thing 
more, my soul, by which the wonderful grace is shown; 
and that is, when the God of our fathers hath glorified 
his Son Jesus in the heart of every poor sinner, who 
gives the glory of his salvation fully, heartily, completely 
to him, and puts the crown of redemption upon the head 
of Jesus. My soul, hast thou done this ? Hast thou 
glorified Jesus in this way, the only way in which thou 
canst glorify him, and the Father in him ? Then, if so, 
23 * 


270 


AUGUST 27. 


what a sweet thought is it, that the God of our fathers, 
and thou a poor sinner, are both agreed, in this one 
blessed work, to glorify Jesus. And here both meet, 
in the only possible meeting-place for an holy God and 
unholy men to meet; and both are engaged in one and 
the same deed*—to glorify Jesus! O thou Lamb of 
God, be thou eternally glorified in my salvation! 


I have exalted one chosen out of the people. 

Psalm lxxxix. 19. 

My soul! wert thou refreshed on the past day, with 
the precious meditation of the God of our father’s glo¬ 
rifying his Son Jesus ? Suffer not, then, the blessed 
subject to pass away from thy thoughts this day, or 
any day; but look at the same delightful meditation 
proposed in the words, which God spake to his Holy 
One in vision—“ I have exalted One chosen out of the 
people.” Yes ! the Lord Jesus, as Man and Mediator, 
was chosen, in the infinite mind of Jehovah, Father, 
Son, and Holy Ghost, from everlasting. And before 
that God went forth in the immediate acts of creation, 
when that vast mass of beings the Lord determined to 
call into existence arose in his own infinite mind at his 
command; this blessed One, this glorious, this distin¬ 
guished, this precious individual, which was to become 
One with the uncreated Word, in order to constitute the 
Wisdom-man Mediator, was from everlasting chosen. 
This was the glorious act—this was the great appoint¬ 
ment. Then Christ Jesus, our glorious Head, our 
Surety, Redeemer, Saviour, was then set up from ever¬ 
lasting ! And, my soul, hadst thou been present, had 
there been a possibility of such a thing, had the whole 
church been there, would not every heart, every soul, 
of his redeemed, have shouted aloud in the contem¬ 
plation of such a Saviour, and cried out, “He is the 
altogether lovely, the chi^fest among ten thousand.” 
Precious Jesus ! thou art indeed lovely in thyself, lovely 
in thy cross, lovely in thy crown, lovely in all thy gra¬ 
cious acts, victories, triumphs, grace, and mercy. Every 
thing in thee is lovely; and thou communicatest love- 



AUGUST 28. 


271 


liness to all'thy people. Thou hast chosen our inherit¬ 
ance for us—reign and rule over us, and in us; for 
thou art The Lord our Righteousness! 


The creditor is come to take unto him my 
two sons to be bondmen .—2 Kings iv. 1. 

My soul! how doth this affect thee ? Art thou in 
debt ? By nature and by practice thou wast miserably 
so, unless the debt be cancelled. As a creature, and 
as a sinful creature, thou art in thyself for ever insol¬ 
vent. Thou hast nothing to pay, and art shut up in a 
total impossibility ever to pay. And how much owest 
thou unto my Lord ? Alas ! my soul, thou owest mil¬ 
lions of debts to thy Almighty Creditor. The law thou 
hast broken: justice demands retribution, conscience 
condemns, Satan accuses; and the Creditor is come to 
take, not thy two sons only, but both thy two parts, 
soul and body, to the prison of death and hell, unless 
some Almighty Surety hath stept in and paid the 
dreadful debt, that thou mayest be free. At death, and 
at judgment that follows, the everlasting release, or the 
everlasting imprisonment, will take place. And who 
knows whether the decision may not be to-morrow; 
nay, whether the same sentence as went forth to the 
rich man in the gospel is not already gone forth con¬ 
cerning thee—“This night thy soul shall be required 
of thee ?” Pause, my soul! Is it not high time to 
flee to the Prophet, even the Prince of the prophets, 
the Lord Jesus, to tell him thy case, and to seek his 
deliverance ? Hark ! doth he say, as the prophet did 
to the poor woman, “What shall I do for thee ? Tell 
me what hast thou in the house ?” Is not Jesus with 
thee ? Is not his fulness suited to thy emptiness ? Hast 
thou him with thee in the house ? Shut then the door: 
bring, bring, my soul, all thy empty vessels—Jesus 
will fill them all. Nor will his bounty stay until that 
all thy vessels be filled ; nay, every vessel will fail be¬ 
fore that his grace fails. And when thou art full of 
Jesus, live on Jesus, and see that Jesus hath paid thy 
Almighty Creditor, and left enough for thee to live on 



272 


AUGUST 29. 


for ever. Oh ! the rapture and the joy when the Al¬ 
mighty Creditor comes, at midnight, or at cock-crowing, 
or in the morning, to know the dreadful debt is paid, 
and to hear him say, “Deliver him from going down 
into the pit; I have found a ransom!” 


Have I been so long time with you, and yet 
hast thou not known me ?—John xiv. 9. 

Pause, my soul, over this question of the Lord Jesus, 
which he put to Philip—figure to thyself that the Lord 
saith the same to thee ; and now see what answer thou 
wilt give him. It is a great question : and if thou art 
able to answer it with a—■“ Yea, Lord and, from the 
blessed Spirit’s teaching, thou truly knowest Jesus 
to be what the scripture saith he is, and canst as 
truly, from the receiving that testimony which God 
hath given of his dear and ever-blessed Son, set to 
thy seal that God is true; then art thou truly happy, 
and mayest humbly take to thyself a portion in that 
blessedness, which the Lord Jesus pronounced upon 
Peter from the same grace manifested: “ Flesh and 
blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but the Father 
which is in heaven.” Pause then and inquire, Dost 
thou know who Christ is ? Art thou perfectly satis¬ 
fied, my soul, of the Oneness in nature, in essence, in 
glory, in will, in worship, in work, in design, in attri¬ 
butes, perfections, power, sovereignty; in short, in all 
and every thing which constitutes the Godhead between 
the Father, and the Son, and Spirit? Oh yes, my soul 
cries out, I do, through the teaching of my God, most 
firmly, heartily, and cordially believe, that Jesus is 
One with the Father over all, God blessed for ever! 
Amen. Pause again, my soul, and say, Dost thou as 
firmly and heartily believe that thy Jesus, who, in the 
divine nature, is One with the Father, is no less in the 
human nature, which he united to the Godhead for the 
purposes of salvation, one with thee, bone of thy bone, 
and flesh of thy flesh ? Doth this make an equal article 
in thy creed? Oh, yes ! I am, through the same divine 
teaching, as fully and perfectly convinced that He who 



AUGUST 30. 


273 


is, and was, and ever will be, the uncreated Word, was 
made flesh, and thereby became the true Emmanuel, 
God with us, God in our nature. Pause once more, my 
soul, and say, Dost thou believe that, by this union of 
God and man, Jesus became the true, the only, the 
blessed Mediator, the Christ of God, the Sent of God, the 
Sealed of God, the Anointed of God, the Lamb of God, 
the Word of God, the Wisdom of God, and the Power 
of God, for salvation to every one that believeth ? Bow 
down, my soul, with unceasing thanksgivings and praise, 
to the Author and Giver of faith, for the stupendous 
discoveries he hath made to thee of himself, while thou 
cryest out in transports of rejoicing—Lord! all this I 
believe ; and am perfectly satisfied that thou art One with 
the Father, and art in the Father, and the Father in 
thee. And while thou thus givest in thy testimony of 
the Lord Jesus, wilt thou not, my soul, at the same time, 
under a conscious sense of the distinguishing mercy, cry 
out also with the astonished disciple—“ Lord, how is it 
that thou hast thus manifested thyself unto me, and not 
unto the world?” 


And thou shalt remember that thou wast a 
bond-man in the land of Egypt, and the Lord 
thy God redeemed thee.— Deut. xv. 15. 

Say, my soul, canst thou ever forget the wormwood and 
the gall of that state of nature, from which the Lord thy 
God brought thee ? Figure to thyself the most horrid 
state of captivity which the world ever knew; and what 
could the whole be, bounded, as it must be, by the short 
period of human life, compared to the everlasting vas¬ 
salage of sin and Satan, in which thou didst lay when 
Jesus passed by and brought thee out ? No galley-slave, 
chained to the oar, could equal thy misery, bound with 
the chain of sin. No duration of misery, bounded by 
time, equals that endless state of wo to which thou 
wast exposed. Thou wert a bondman to the power of 
sin, to the love of sin, to the desire of sin, to the punish¬ 
ment of sin; a bondman to the law of God, to the jus- 



274 


AUGUST 31. 


tice of God, to the displeasure of God, to the threaten- 
ings of God; a bondman to thine own guilty conscience ; 
a bondman to thine own corrupt lusts—not one lust, but 
many—serving, as the apostle saith, divers lusts and plea¬ 
sures, hateful, and hating one another; a bondman to 
Satan—a willing drudge—wearing his livery, delighted 
in his service, though full of sorrow, vexation, and dis¬ 
appointment, and his wages sure death; a bondman to 
the fear of many creatures among the inferior creation, 
many of whom had continual power to vex and distress 
thee; a bondman to the fear of death, hell, and a judg¬ 
ment to come! Was this thy state, my soul, by nature 
and by practice ? And hath One like the Son of Man 
brought thee out ? Precious Jesus ! What shall I say to 
thee—what shall I say for thee ? What shall I render to 
the Lord for all the mercies he hath done to me, and 
for me? And dost thou say, Lord, that I may remem¬ 
ber that bondage and thy redemption ? Oh, may my 
tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, if I forget thee, 
thou Author of all my joy, and all my happiness ! Nay, 
if I do not remember thee, and prefer thy love more than 
wine. In life, in death, and to all eternity, may my soul 
hang upon thee, as the bee upon the flower; and let the 
fragrancy of thy name be as ointment poured forth. 


One thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, 
now I see .—John ix. 25. 

This is a great thing to say, my soul: on what founda¬ 
tion dost thou rest this knowledge ? If the Lord Jesus 
hath opened thine eyes, then indeed thou canst not but 
discover thy former blindness ; for, during that state of 
nature, thou literally couldst discern nothing. And if 
thy former blindness be discovered, then thy present 
sight hath brought thee acquainted with new objects. 
Pause over the review of both, this morning. The blind¬ 
ness of nature to spiritual things is marked in Scripture 
in strong characters. A poor blind sinner sees nothing 
of the light of life. The Sun of Righteousness is not 
risen upon him. He discerns nothing of the love of God 



SEPTEMBER 1. 


275 


in Christ. If he reads the Scripture, the vail is upon his 
heart. If he hears of Jesus, he sees no beauty in him. 
Nothing is nearer to him than the Lord, and nothing 
farther from his thoughts. To tell him of the sweetness 
of the word of God, is strange to him ; for he tastes no¬ 
thing of sweetness in it. To tell him of the loveliness of 
ordinances and the Sabbaths ; these are strange things in 
his esteem. My soul, if indeed thine eyes be opened, 
thou wilt know that thou wast once indeed blind, in the 
fullest sense of the word, to all these delightful views of 
sacred things, which now are thy supreme pleasure and 
thy joy. Say, then, what hast thou seen to justify this 
saying, “ One thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, 
now I see ?” Hast thou seen the King in his beauty ? 
Hast thou seen with the eye of faith the glories of Jesus ? 
Yes, if so be all other objects are obscured. The sight 
of Jesus, as the Christ of God, hath darkened the glory 
and excellency of all beside. Jesus, as he is in himself, 
as he is in his offices, characters, relations—as he is to 
thee and thy happiness—is the one, the only one thing 
needful: and thou must count all things but dung and 
dross to win Christ. These, my soul, are blessed tokens 
that Jesus hath opened thine eyes, and brought thee out 
of darkness -into his marvellous light. By and by thou 
shalt see him as he is, and dwell with him for ever! 


SEPTEMBE-R. 

And his name, through faith in his name, 
hath made this man strong .—Acts ii. 16. 

My soul! begin this month as the Lord in mercy hath 
enabled thee to begin some that are past, in taking the 
name of Jesus for thy theme. Let his name be as oint¬ 
ment poured forth, w’hose fragrancy shall make thee 
strong, as it made the poor man whole. And as the 
Lord hath opened a new month to thee in grace, do thou 
take up his name, through faith in his name, in praise 
and prayer. And see to it, my soul, that through the 
month, and indeed the whole of life, improve his name 



276 


SEPTEMBER 2. 


in every case, m every want, in every need. Depend 
upon it, his name will answer all. Whatever thy neces¬ 
sities are, in Jesus’s name there is a supply for all. Art 
thou poor, he is rich; sick, he is thy health; weak, he 
is strong; sinful, he is the Lord thy Righteousness. 
Every thing, and in every way, upon all accounts, and 
upon all occasions—his name, through faith in his name, 
is the universal charm, the everlasting remedy, supply, 
comfort, strength of all. Jesus hath every thing, and 
all things; and he hath them all for his people. Oh 
then, rny soul, look to Him and his name for the suited 
grace in every time of need ! He will, as the Psalmist 
sweetly reasons-—he will, nevertheless, (notwithstanding 
all thy undeservings, this nevertheless is still in the 
covenant,) he will save for his name’s sake, that he 
might make his mighty power to be known. 


The Lord, the God of hosts, shall be with 
you, as ye have spoken .—Amos v. 14. 

My soul! pause over this precious scripture, and ask 
thyself, Is it indeed confirmed to thy experience ? And 
do remark how the promise of the Old Testament scrip¬ 
ture is confirmed in the New . Jesus assured the same, 
when he said, “ If a man love me, he will keep my 
words : and my Father will love him, and we will come 
and make our abode with him.” Pause, my soul, again, 
and see whether, both Testaments concurring in the same, 
and the Holy Ghost ever abiding with the Lord’s people, 
to confirm his word in the heart, are not these promises 
thine, and art thou not everlastingly enjoying them ? 
Precious Jesus ! morning by morning would I besiege 
thy mercy-seat, to put thee in mind of this promise, 
which, in its blessedness, comprehends every other. If 
the Lord, the God of hosts be with me; if the Father 
graciously come; if the Son himself come, both to 
make their abode, not as a wayfaring man that turneth 
in to tarry for a night, but to make their abode ; and if 
the Holy Ghost abide with me for ever—oh the blessed¬ 
ness of such a state, the glory of such company ! Lord, 
I pray, be it unto me according to thy word! 




SEPTEMBER 3—4. 


277 


Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, 
neither let the mighty man glory in his might, 
let not the rich man glory in his riches; but 
let him that glorieth, glory in this, that he un- 
derstandeth and knoweth me, that I am the 
Lord .—Jeremiah ix. 23, 24. 

And didst thou, my poor, proud, vain, sinful heart, 
after so much as hath been said to thee of Jesus, and 
so much as thou hast been feelingly taught thy want 
of Jesus—didst thou need this precept ? Oh ! yes, my 
soul; every day it had need be sounded in thy ears, 
and written over again by the Holy Ghost upon 
thine heart. Now it is, Lord Jesus, I learn from 
hence why thou art so suited to a poor convinced sinner. 
Thou, and thou only, art The Lord our Righteousness; 
and therefore let those that know not their own worth¬ 
lessness, nor thy glory, boast in what they may; let 
others talk of what they will; I see plain enough there 
is nothing out of thee for a poor soul to rejoice in. The 
wise man hath no wisdom, but in thee ; nor the mighty 
man strength, nor the rich man riches: but if thou art 
my Portion, thou art made of God to me both wisdom, 
righteousness, sanctification, and redemption ; and then 
indeed I shall glory in the Lord ! 


A just God, and a Saviour .—Isaiah xlv. 21. 

My soul! hast thou learnt, from the teaching of God 
the Holy Ghost, to contemplate Him, with whom thou 
hast to do, under these blessed united characters ? If 
thou hast, thou hast found it a blessed and an approved 
way of opening communion with God, and maintaining 
that communion alive in the soul. Thou knowest, then, 
that God, as a just God, can admit of no pardon to sin, 
but upon the footing of a complete satisfaction; for, 
without this, his truth and justice would still be violated 
by unatoned sin. But if thou beholdest God in Christ, 
reconciling the world to himself, and hast been taught by 
the Spirit that Christ hath redeemed thee from the curse 
of the law, being made a curse for thee ; that, as thy 
24 



278 


SEPTEMBER 5. 


Surety and thy Representative, he hath paid thy debt, 
and restored that which he took not away; here thou 
beholdest indeed “ a just God, and a Saviour,” and hast 
learnt that precious, blessed truth, how God can be just, 
and the justifier of every poor sinner that believeth in 
Jesus. See to it, then, my soul, that thou keepest this 
precious thought always in view. Always blend together, 
in all thy approaches to a mercy-seat, that thou art ap¬ 
proaching a just God, and a Saviour. Never lose sight 
of the high demands of God’s righteous law ; neither the 
perfect worth and efficacy of Jesus in his blood and 
righteousness; and connect always with the blessed 
view thine own personal interest in that obedience by 
thy union with him. Then wilt thou as much delight in 
God’s justice as his mercy; and his holiness will be as 
dear to thee as his love. Then wilt thou understand 
that blessed truth, and join issue with it in every part. 
Surely shall one say, “ In the Lord have I righteousness 
and strength; even to him shall men come; and all 
that believe in him shall not be ashamed nor confound¬ 
ed, world without end.” 


The praise of all his saints. —Psalm cxlviii. 14. 

And who is this, my soul, but Jesus ? Is he not indeed 
both the praise and the glory, the delight and the joy, 
the portion and the happiness of all his people? His 
saints, doth it say ? Yes ! saints made so by his right¬ 
eousness and salvation, when taken from among sinners ; 
and when themselves sinners,he hath washed them in his 
blood, clothed them with his garment of salvation, and 
granted them an inheritance among the saints in light! 
And is he not their praise ? Indeed, is there any other 
the object of their praise, to whom they look up, in whom 
they delight, but Him, in whom God their Father hath 
made them accepted in Him, the Beloved ? Say then, 
my soul, is he not thy praise this day; and will he not 
be thine everlasting, unceasing praise, everyday, and all 
the day, and through the endless day of eternity ? Who 
shall be thy praise but Jesus ; his beauty, his glory, his 
excellency: in whom all divine perfections centre ? Who 





SEPTEMBER G. 279 

shall be thy praise but Jesus, the Mediator, the Christ of 
God, whose glory it is to redeem poor sinners, and make 
them saints ; to give out of his fulness, and grace for 
grace ? Who shall be thy praise, but he that hath made 
thy peace, in the blood of his cross, and ever liveth to 
make intercession for thee ? Oh ! thou fair and lovely 
One, the chiefest among ten thousand ; thou art my 
praise, my glory, my song, my rejoicing! Every day 
will I praise thee : morning by morning will I hail thy 
name, and night by night testify thy faithfulness. Here, 
while upon earth, will I unceasingly speak of thy praise ; 
and, ere long, I shall join the happy multitude above, 
in that song —To Him that hath loved ws, and washed 
as from our sins in his own blood! Oh, thou that art 
the praise of all the saints ! 


And the Lord turned, and looked upon 
Peter .—Luke xxii. 61. 

My soul! hath that eye that looked so graciously upon 
Peter, looked graciously upon thee ? Pause and deter¬ 
mine the point by the effects. Peter went out and wept 
bitterly. Hath such impressions of grace been upon 
thee, my soul? Hast thou wept over the recollection of 
sin and a ruined nature, which is continually manifesting 
itself in the same faithlessness and worthlessness as in the 
apostle ? Moreover, hast thou ever looked with an eye 
of faith and love to Jesus? If so, it must have been 
wrought by this eye of Christ upon thee, my soul: for, 
mark it, we never look to him with an eye of faith, until 
Jesus hath first looked on us with an eye of love. If we 
love him, it is because he first loved us. Sweet testimony 
this, if so be thou hast it in thine experience, that he that 
turned and looked upon Peter, hath looked on thee also. 
Moreover, any thing short of this glance of Jesus’s eye is 
short of all to induce true repentance. Peter heard, un¬ 
moved, again and again, the crowing of the cock, just as 
we hear,unmoved, the warnings of God’s holy word in his 
scriptures ; until Jesus accompanied the crowing of the 
cock, which he had admonished the apostle concerning, 
with his tender and remonstrating look : then, and not 



280 


SEPTEMBER 7. 


before, the blessed effects were wrought. O precious 
Master ! turn, I beseech thee, and look on me ; and let 
that look enter my very soul, that I may look on thee 
whom I have pierced, and mourn as one that mourneth 
for his only son, and be in bitterness as one that is in 
bitterness for his first-born. Let all my soul’s affection 
be continually going out after the look of Jesus, until eye- 
strings and heart-strings break and give way; and when 
they close in the sleep of death, may I, with the eyes of 
the soul, behold thy face in righteousness, that I may be 
satisfied when I awake with thy likeness. 


For the Lord God of Israel saith, that he 
hateth patting away .—Malachi ii. 16. 

And well it is for thee, my soul, that he doth: for if 
the Lord God of Israel had dealt by thee once , as thou 
hast been dealing with him always , thou wouldst have 
been ruined for ever. But what is the cause of thy mer¬ 
cies ? Is it not the covenant faithfulness of God thy 
Father, founded in his own everlasting love, engaged in 
his promise and his oath, to Jesus, and secured in his 
blood and righteousness? And is this the cause why the 
Lord God of Israel hateth putting away ? Is this the 
cause why God resteth in his love ? Oh ! for grace to 
see the cause, to adore the mercy ; and where the Lord 
God of Israel rests, there, my soul, do thou rest also ! 
See to it, my soul, that thy life of faith, and thy life of 
hope, are both founded in Jesus, and not in the sense 
thou hast of these precious things. The things are the 
same, how different soever, at different times, thy view 
of them may be. The everlasting worth, the everlasting 
efficacy of Jesus’s blood and righteousness, is always the 
same ; and his people’s interest in it the same, although, 
from the different view we have of it, at different times, 
it seems as if sometimes it were lost, and our own state 
were worse and worse. My soul! upon such occasions 
call to mind this sweet scripture: “The Lord God of Is¬ 
rael saith, that he hateth putting away. Observe, the 
Lord not only doth hate putting away, but he saith it, 
that his people may know it, and properly esteem his 



SEPTEMBER 8. 


281 


unchanging love. Oh ! to cry out under the assurance 
of this precious truth, and to feel the blessedness of what 
the Lord saith by his servant the prophet: “ The Lord 
thy God in the midst of thee is mighty: he will save : he 
will rejoice over thee with joy, he will rest in his love, 
he will joy over thee with singing.” 


Ye have dwelt long enough in this mount. 

Deut. i. 6. 

Pause, my soul, and remark the gracious words of God 
to Israel. They were just entering the border of Canaan 
at that time. Forty years long had they been in a wil¬ 
derness state : many ups and downs, battles and restings, 
conflicts and trials. God graciously said, “ It is long 
enough.” There is a rest that remaineth for the people 
of God. Hark, my soul! doth Jesus speak to thee to the 
same amount ? Hast thou indeed dwelt long enough in 
this mount of exercises, sin, sorrow, and temptation ? 
Hast thou seen enough of the emptiness of all creature 
comforts to satisfy thee. Hast thou felt enough of a 
body of sin and death, which drags down the soul, to 
make thee groan under it, being burdened ? Is there any 
thing now worth living for ? Are not the glories above 
worth dying for ? Doth Jesus call thee, invite thee, allure 
thee, to come up to the Canaan which he hath taken pos¬ 
session of in the name of his redeemed : and wilt thou 
not mount up upon the wings of faith, love, and longing 
desire, to be for ever with the Lord ? Doth Jesus say, 
Thou hast dwelt long enough here below? And wilt thou 
not say the same ? Doth Jesus call thee to his arms ; 
and wilt thou say, Not yet, Lord ? Ah ! my soul, art 
thou indeed in love with this prison ? Dost thou wish to 
wear thy chains a little longer ? And is this thy kindness 
to thy Friend ? Precious Lord ! break down every in¬ 
tervening thought or passion that would rob thee of thy 
glory, and my soul of thy presence ; and give me to cry 
out—Hasten, my Beloved ! and be thou as a young hart 
upon the mountains of Bether. 


24 * 




§82 


SEPTEMBER 9. 


In those days, and in that time, saith the 
Lord, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought 
for, and there shall be none; and the sins of 
Judah, and they shall not be found : for I will 
pardon them whom I reserve .—Jeremiah 1. 20. 

What those days and that time refer to is very plain, 
namely, the day when the great trumpet shall be blown, 
and when they shall come which were ready to perish: 
the glorious days of gospel grace by Jesus. For God 
the Father, having appointed and accepted a Surety of 
poor sinners, in the blood and righteousness of his dear 
Son, beholds no iniquity in Jacob, no perverseness in 
Israel. Blessed thought to comfort a poor soul! that, 
seen in Christ, and accepted in the Beloved, there is no 
condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, who walk 
not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Pause, my soul, 
over this precious scripture, and take to thyself the com¬ 
fort of it. If thou art in Christ, thou art beheld righteous 
in his righteousness ; and, as thy Surety,what he wrought 
and what he suffered was for thee. So that, in this sense, 
thou art, as Christ tells the church, all fair, and there is 
no spot in thee. So that* amidst all thy groans for the 
remains of indwelling sin, (and groan thou dost daily,) 
and as thou sometimes art prompted to think, there is 
growing imperfection in thee ; yet in Jesus, as thou art 
found and beheld in him, sin is pardoned, and thy person 
accepted; and thou art in a state of justification before 
God, in the righteousness of God thy Saviour. And as 
this is so essential to be known and enjoyed, see to it, 
my soul, that thou livest upon it. Go, in the strength 
of Christ’s righteousness, every day to the throne, plead¬ 
ing that righteousness, and that only. And under a 
perfect conviction, that not a single sin of thine was left 
out when Jesus bore the sins of his people on the tree, 
beg for grace to exercise faith, and to know that in Jesus 
thou art justified before God, and that God hath cast all 
thy sins into the depths of the sea. Oh ! the depth of 
the riches, both of the wisdom and goodness of God ! 
What shall separate’from the love of Christ? Surely 
not sin : for Jesus hath put away sin by the sacrifice of 


SEPTEMBER 10. 


283 


himself. The law of God cannot: for that law Jesus, as 
the sinner’s Surety, hath satisfied. And justice, so far 
from condemning, now approves. God is just to his 
dear Son, as our Surety, who hath answered all the de¬ 
mands of sin, and therefore hath forgiven sin, and 
cleansed from all unrighteousness. Blessed thought! 
in this day sin is pardoned in Christ; and in that day, 
when God shall arise to judgment, the sin of Judah, and 
the iniquity of Israel cannot be found. 


While the king sitteth at his table, my spike¬ 
nard sendeth forth the smell thereof. 

Song i. 12. 

That was a precious testimony Mary gave of her love 
to Jesus, and Jesus himself hath given his approbation of 
it, when she anointed Jesus’s feet with the spikenard. 
God our Father hath anointed his dearSon; and so ought 
we. Surely God’s Anointed should be otir Anointed : 
and if Mary poured forth the best of her offerings, my 
soul, do thou the same. Indeed, while the King sitteth 
at his table, and reigneth in thine heart, the graces will 
flow. Yes, thou heavenly King ! when thou spreadest 
thy table, and oallest thy redeemed as thy guests; while 
thou suppest with them, and they with thee ; the humble 
spikenard, in the heartof a sinner,awakened by thy grace, 
and brought forth into exercise, will send forth all that 
shall testify love, and praise, and affection, and duty, and 
regard. Do thou, then, dearest Lord ! sit as a king fre¬ 
quently at thy table. Let me hear thy gracious invita¬ 
tion : “Eat, O friends! yea, drink abundantly, O be¬ 
loved !” And oh ! thou heavenly Master ! as all at the 
table is thine; the bread of life, the water of life, the 
wine of thy banquet—and all is thine own, and of thine 
own do thy redeemed give thee ; let me hear thy voice, 
let me see thy countenance. And while thou givest forth 
thyself with all thy fulness, oh ! let my poor spikenard 
send forth faith and grace in lively exercise, that I may 
eat of thy flesh, and drink of thy blood, and have eternal 
life abiding in me. 




284 


SEPTEMBER 11. 


For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a 
strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge 
from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when 
the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm 
against the wall .—Isaiah xxv. 4. 

Who so poor as Jesus’s poor ? Who so needy as the 
needy of the Redeemer? The world knoweth them not, 
because it knew him not. And as the Master was, so 
are his servants in this world. But, my soul, observe 
how sweetly Jesus is all this. A strength to the poor in 
his distress, by taking all the storm himself. He is a 
shadow from the heat, the heat of the wrath of a broken 
law, which Jesus bore himself, when he died to expiate 
the breaches of it. His blood and righteousness cool the 
heat of sin, and quench all the fiery darts of the wicked: 
these terrible ones which beat upon a poor sinner, like a 
storm against the wall. Moreover, when the showers of 
wrath shall fall at the last day on the wicked ; when that 
horrible tempestof fire and brimstone,thePsalmist speaks 
of, shall come down on the ungodly; Jesus will be an 
hiding-place from the storm, and a covert from the 
tempest: not a drop can fall on those that are under 
him, and sheltered by his blood and righteousness. As 
the church is now said to sit under his shadow with great 
delight in this wilderness state, and his fruit sweet to her 
taste : so when she is fairly come up out of it, having 
all along leaned upon her Beloved, and having entered 
with him into his glory ; there will be both security and 
delight, everlasting safety and joy. Precious Jesus ! thou 
hast been a strength indeed to my poor soul; and thou 
wilt be my portion for ever ! Oh ! give me to see my 
daily need of thee, to feel my poverty and weakness; the 
exercises of persecution, both without and within ; that 
from all the terrors of the law, the claims of guilt in the 
conscience, the remains of indwelling sin in a body of 
death, which is virtually all sin—the accusations of Satan, 
the just judgments of God ; in thee, thou One glorious 
Ordinance of heaven, precious Lord Jesus! I may behold 
myself secure in thee, and continually cry out, in the 
language of thy servant the prophet: Surely shall one 


SEPTEMBER 12. 


285 


say, In the Lord have / righteousness and strength ; 
even to thee do I come ; and never shall I be ashamed 
or confounded, world without end. 


And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the 
wilderness, even so must the Son of man be 
lifted up; that whosoever believeth in him 
should not perish, but have eternal life. 

John iii. 14, 15. 

Pause, my soul, over these words, and remember 
that they are the words of Jesus. Call to mind the 
wonderful event, to which Christ refers, in the church’s 
history, in the wilderness, as related, Numb. xxi. 5 — 9. 
Israel had sinned; and the Lord sent fiery flying ser¬ 
pents among the people, which bit them, and they 
died. In their distress they cried unto the Lord ; and 
.the Lord appointed this method of cure :—A figure of 
a serpent was made in brass, to which Israel was com¬ 
manded to look only, and be healed. They who did 
so, lived. If any refused, he died. This was the ordi¬ 
nance of God. “ Now,” saith Jesus, “ as Moses, at the 
command of God, lifted up the serpent, so must I be 
lifted up; that whosoever believeth in me shall never 
perish, but have eternal life.” Now, my soul, mark 
what the Saviour saith, and see the blessedness con¬ 
tained in his precious assurance. It was a serpent that 
stung the Israelites. It was the old serpent, the devil, 
which poisoned our nature at the fall. All his tempta¬ 
tions, assaults, and poisons are fiery. And when the 
dreadful effects of sin are felt in the awakened con¬ 
science, how do they burn with terrors in the soul ? What 
could the dying Israelite do, to heal those venomous 
bites?—Nothing. Would medicine cure?—No. Was 
there no remedy within the powerofman ?—No; itbaffled 
all art—it resisted all attempts to heal. Such is sin. 
No prayers, no tears, no endeavours, no repentance, can 
wash away sin. If the sinner be restored, it must be by 
the interposition and mercy of God alone. Now observe 
the method God took with Israel. A figure of brass: 
and if, as some men tell us, any thing shining like brass, 



286 


SEPTEMBER 13. 


to look upon when the head and brain is diseased, would 
make the person mad; so far was this serpent of brass 
likely to cure, that it was the most unpromising thing in 
the world to accomplish it. But yet it was God’s com¬ 
mand ; and that was enough. It infallibly cured. Look 
now to Christ. Here also is God’s appointment, God’s 
command, God’s authority. Christ was made in the 
likeness of sinful flesh; and though holy in himself, yet 
becoming sin for us, that we might be made the right¬ 
eousness of God in him. The single precept is, “ Look 
unto me, and be ye saved.” What, must I do nothing, 
bring nothing, take nothing ?—No. The answer is, 
“Look unto me.” This is the appointed way. Christ 
is the One only Ordinance; Christ is the Altar, Offer¬ 
ing, High-priest. “ If thou liftest up thy tool upon it, 
thou hast polluted it.” Christ is the Father’s gift for 
healing. In Jesus there is a fulness to heal. Faith, 
then, hath a double plea—-the authority of God the 
Father, and the fulness of salvation in God the Son. „ 
Lord! I take this for my warrant. Help me, thou 
blessed Spirit! so to look, so to depend, so to fix my 
whole soul, on his complete remedy for all my need, that 
heaven and earth may witness for me, I seek salvation 
in no other, being most fully convinced that there is sal¬ 
vation in no other; neither is there any other name under 
heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved. 


And thou shalt write them upon the posts of 
thine house, and on thy gates.— Deut . vi. 9. 

See, my soul, what a gracious provision the Lord made 
for the glory and honour of his Israel, that every traveller 
passing by might say, “ Here dwelleth an Israelite in¬ 
deed ! He hath the name of the Lord of Hosts upon his 
house !” And did it please the Lord God of Israel so to 
have his people known; and shall it not be my desire to 
have thy name, Lord, upon the gates of my house ? Shall 
any pass by my door ignorant that a lover of the Lord 
Jesus dwelleth there? Nay, shall I not esteem it my 
highest honour to have it known whose I am, and whom 
I serve, in the gospel of his dear Son ? Shall I be 



SEPTEMBER 14. 


287 


ashamed of that name before which every knee bows in 
heaven and in earth ? Oh! Lord Jesus! not only write 
thy name upon the gates of my house, but engrave it in 
the centre of my heart, my affections ; my first, and last, 
and earliest, and latest thoughts ! Let it be my rapture 
and my joy, to speak out of the abundance of my heart 
concerning thee and thy great salvation ! In all I say, 
in all I do, let it be manifest that I am in pursuit of Him 
whom my soul loveth. Let every action tend to recom¬ 
mend thy dear name ; and whether at home or abroad, 
in my house or family, when lying down or when rising 
up, let all creation witness for me that the love, the ser¬ 
vice, the interest, the glory, of my God in Christ, is the 
one only object of my soul’s desire ; and let every thing 
speak this language—“ Whom have I in heaven but 
thee ? and there is none upon earth I desire but thee : 
and though my flesh and heart fail, yet thou art the 
strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.” 


And he must needs go through Samaria. 

John iv. 4. 

And what was there, blessed Jesus ! that constrained 
thee to this necessity? Was it because there was a poor 
adulterous woman there that needed thy grace, and the 
hour was come for her conversion ? Sweet thought! let 
me cherish it this morning. Was there not the same 
needs be for the Father setting thee up, from everlasting, 
for the Head of thy church and people ? Could there 
have been a church without thee ? And when thy church 
had fallen by sin, what archangel could have recovered 
her but thee ? Why then there was a needs be , that thou 
shouldst take the nature of thy people upon thee, and 
come to seek and save that which was lost. And as it is 
said of thee, concerning this poor woman, that he must 
needs go through Samariaso must it be equally said, 
Jesus must needs go to Jerusalem, to save Jerusalem 
sinners by his blood. Oh ! yes, there was a blessed ne¬ 
cessity upon thee, thou Lamb of God! that thou shouldst 
do all this. Ought not Christ to have suffered these 
things , and to enter into his glory ? My soul! indulge 



288 


SEPTEMBER 15. 


this precious thought yet farther, and see if there be not 
a needs be in thy Jesus for numberless other occasions. 
Is there not a blessed necessity that Jesus should give 
out of his fulness to his people ? Is there not a needs be , 
when his blessed gospel is preached, that he should be 
present to give virtue and efficacy to the word delivered ? 
Might not every poor waiting needy sinner say, There is 
a blessed necessity Christ should be here ? Surely he is 
constrained by his promise, that where two or three are 
met in his name, he is in the midst of them; and there¬ 
fore he will come, he will bless his word; he will give 
out of his fulness ; for he knows my need, and the need 
of all his people present. Nay, is not the glory of our 
Jesus depending upon .the receiving of his poor, and 
making them rich by his bounty ? Go one step further, 
my soul, this morning, as it concerns thyself. Doth not 
Jesus know now thy state, thy want, thy circumstances, 
and that thou art waiting for thy morning alms, before 
that thou canst leave his gate? Then is there not a 
needs be that he, who was constrained to, pass through 
Samaria, should come to thee ? Precious, precious 
Jesus! I wait thy coming; I long to hear thy voice. 
What I need thou knowest. And as thy glory and my 
salvation are both blended, do for me, Lord, as shall 
best conduce to this one end, and all will be well. Jesus 
will be glorified, and my soul made happy. Amen. 


As for me I am poor and needy; yet the 
Lord thinketh upon me .—Psalm xl. 17. 

My soul! sit down and reckon up thy true riches. See 
what are thine outward circumstances, and take an in¬ 
ventory of all thine inward wealth. Thou art, by nature 
and by practice, one of the children of a bankrupt father, 
even Adam, who lived insolvent, and died wretchedly 
poor in himself, having entailed only an inheritance of 
sin, misery, and death, with the loss of divine favour, 
upon the whole race of his children. By nature and by 
practice thou art poor in the sight of God, despised by 
angels.on account of thy loathsome disease of sin ; thine 
understanding darkened, thy will corrupt, passions impe- 



SEPTEMBER 16. 


289 


tuous, proud, self-willed—all in opposition to the law 
of God: exposed to all present evil, everlasting evil; a 
slave to Satan, a willing captive in his drudgery ; hast¬ 
ening daily to death, to the second death, and with an 
insensibility which is enough to make every heart mourn 
that beholds thee. Such, my soul, was thy state by 
nature ; and such, and far worse, would have been thy 
state for ever, had not Jesus interposed, and looked upon 
thee, and loved thee, when thou wast cast out to perish, 
and no eye to pity thee, nor help thee from thy ruin. 
My soul! canst thou not say, though poor and needy, 
the Lord thinketh upon me ? O blessed Jesus! thou 
dost indeed think upon me and provide for me; and 
hast given me to see, to feel, my poverty, need, and 
misery, and to live wholly upon thee and thy alms from 
day to day. Yes, Jesus ! I would be poor, I would be 
needy; I would feel yet more and more my nothing¬ 
ness, worthlessness, poverty, wretchedness ; that Jesus 
maybe increasingly precious, and thy salvation increas¬ 
ingly dear! Oh! for grace, as a poor needy debtor, 
daily to swell my debt account, that my consciousness 
of need may make thee and thy fulness increasingly 
blessed. Let it be my daily motto—“As for me I am 
poor and needy; but the Lord thinketh upon me.” 


I will strengthen them in the Lord, and they 
shall walk up and down in his name, saith the 
Lord.— Zech. x. 12. 

My soul! mark these words, how precious they are; 
and mark the Speaker and Promiser, and consider how 
sure they are ! Is not this God the Father speaking of 
the church, and most graciously assuring the church that 
he will strengthen the church in Jesus, the church’s glo¬ 
rious Head ? Is not this said with an eye to Christ, who 
is represented in another part of this blessed prophecy as 
calling upon the church to attend to him, who is come 
to build the temple of the Lord, and to bear all the glory; 
and who expressly saith that the church shall know that 
He, the Lord of hosts, is sent by the Lord of hosts unto 



290 


SEPTEMBER 17. 


his people ? Who but the Lord of hosts could build the 
temple of the Lord of hosts ; or who but him could bear 
all the glory? Zech. vi. 12. So then, my soul, observe 
that Christ is the strength, as well as the righteousness, 
of his redeemed: and do observe further, that when at 
any time thou art strengthened in Jesus, it is the Father’s 
gracious hand and office which is manifested in this 
merciful act. If thou art drawn at any time to Jesus, it 
is the Father’s sweet constraining love that thus works 
upon the soul. John vi. 44. If thou enjoyest at any 
time some new and delightful revelation of Jesus, which 
lifts thee up with a joy unspeakable, remember, my soul, 
from whom the blessing comes; and learn to ascribe the 
mercy, the distinguishing mercy, as the apostle did, to 
the Father’s grace, when it pleased him to separate thee 
from thy mother’s womb, and called thee by his grace to 
reveal his Son in thee. Gal. i. 15,16. Yes, Almighty 
Father! it is thy special mercy, both to give thy Son, 
and with him all things, to the highly-favoured objects 
of thine everlasting love. It was he who, from all eter¬ 
nity, did contrive, order, will, appoint, and prepare, the 
great salvation of the gospel; and choose Christ as the 
Head, and the Church as the body, of this stupendous 
work of redemption. It is thou which hast carried on 
and executed all the great designs: and it is thou who 
dost strengthen and complete the whole in the final sal¬ 
vation of all the members of it, in grace here, and glory 
hereafter. Blessed, holy, compassionate Lord God! 
for Jesus’s sake fulfil this promise daily in my soul: 
bear me up, carry me through, and strengthen me in 
the Lord my God, that I may indeed walk up and down 
in his name, until thou bring me in to see his face in 
thine eternal home, and dwell under the light of his 
countenance for ever. 


Brethren, pray for us.—1 Thess. v. 25. 

My soul! mark how earnestly the apostle sought an 
interest in the prayers of the faithful. And if so eminent 
a servant in the church of Jesus thus entreated to be re¬ 
membered by the brethren at the mercy-seat, how need- 



SEPTEMBER 18. 


291 


ful must it be that the brethren should remember one 
another; not only ministers to pray for the people, but 
the people for their ministers. “ Brethren, pray for us,” 
should be the constant request of every lover of Jesus. 
Methinks I would ask every one that I knew to be a 
constant attendant at the heavenly court, to speak for 
me to the King, when he was most near, and in the en¬ 
joyment of his presence. Tell the Lord, I would say, 
hat his poor prisoner needs his alms, longs for his grace, 
and is waiting the anxious expectations of his visits. Beg 
for me, that I may live always under the blessed tokens 
of his love; that I may be ever living near the Lord, 
and strong in the grace which is in Christ Jesus. And 
do tell his Sovereign Majesty that the one great object 
of my soul’s desire is, that I may have increasing views 
of the infinite dignity of his person, work, merit, offices, 
relations, characters; and, in short, every thing that 
relates to One so dear, so lovely, so glorious, and so 
suited to a poor sinner, as the Lord Jesus Christ is in 
all things. And do add for me that my humble suit is, 
that after he hath given me all in gifts and graces that 
he sees needful for me in my pilgrimage state, that 
Jesus will give me yet more than all, by giving me 
himself, and causing my heart to be dissatisfied with all 
but himself; for until Jesus himself be my portion, I 
still have not what I want. It is not enough to give 
me life; but He himself must be my life. It is not 
enough to give me rest, unless He himself is my rest, 
and I rest in him. Precious Jesus ! I would say, in 
thyself is all I need : all to pardon, all to justify, all to 
sanctify, all to glorify, all to satisfy, all to make happy, 
here and for ever. Brethren, let this be your prayer 
for me, and it shall be mine for you ; that Jesus be the 
all in all of our souls, and our portion for ever. 


The king is held in the galleries .—Song vii. 5. 

And who but Jesus is King in Zion? As one with 
the Father over all, God blessed for ever, he is indeed 
the King eternal, immortal, invisible ! And as Mediator 
God-man, he is my God and King, both by his conquest 



292 


SEPTEMBER 18. 


of my heart, and the voluntary surrender of my soul. 
Yes, blessed Jesus! I not only hail thee my God and 
King, but I would have every knee bow before thee, 
and every tongue confess that thou art Lord and King, 
to the glory of God the Father. But, my soul, what 
are those galleries where thy King is held ? Are they 
the scriptures of truth where Jesus is held and retained, 
adored and admired ? Or are they the public ordinances 
of thine house, or the place where thine honour dwell- 
eth ; or the secret chamber, or the closet of retirement 
and meditation; when thou comest to visit thy people, 
and when thou knockest at the door of their hearts, 
when thou comest in to sup with them, and they with 
thee? Well, my gracious, condescending Lord! be 
they what they may, or where they may, methinks, like 
the patriarch, when thou comest to wrestle with my 
poor, heedless, and sleepy heart, I will hold thee in the 
galleries, and say, as he did, “I will not let thee go, ex¬ 
cept thou bless me.” I would say, as another famous 
patriarch did, “ My Lord, if I have found favour in thy 
sight, pass not away from thy servant. Rest yourself 
under the tree ; and I will fetch a morsel of thine own 
bread, and of thine own giving, and comfort ye your 
hearts: for therefore are ye come to your servant.” 
Gen. xviii. 3, 5. I would entreat thee, Lord, not to be 
as the wayfaring man, that turneth in to tarry but for 
the night: but I would hold thee in the galleries of 
thine own graces, and thine own strength, imparted to 
my poor soul; and I would beg of thee, and entreat 
thee, to tarry until the dawn of day, and make thyself 
fully known unto me, in breaking of bread, and in 
prayer! Yes, my adorable King ! my Lord and my 
God! I would detain thee in the galleries, I would 
hold thee fast, I would not let thee go> until that I had 
brought thee into my mother’s house, the church—and 
until thou hadst brought me home to thine eternal 
habitation which is above ; and there to sit down at 
thy feet to go out no more, but at the fountain head of 
joy to drink of the spiced wine of the juice of the pome¬ 
granate in everlasting felicity. 



SEPTEMBER 19-20. 


293 


I have set before thee an ooen door, and no 
man can shut it.— Rev. iii. 8. 

Blessed Jesus! thou hast indeed done all this, and 
more. Thou art thyself the Door into thy fold here 
below, and to thy courts above ; for thou hast said, by 
thee, whosoever entereth in, shall go in and find pas¬ 
ture : and it is thou that hast opened a new and living 
way by thy blood. Thou art the only possible way of 
access to the Father. And because thou hast opened 
it, no man can shut it; for thou ever livest to keep the 
way, which thou hast once opened, still open, by thy 
all-prevailing intercession. Yes, thou heavenly Lord ! 
the gate is never shut, day nor night. In the preach¬ 
ing of thine everlasting gospel, all the ends of the earth 
shall see this salvation of our God. And, as thou hast 
graciously said, all that come to God by thee, shall 
never be shut out. The word, the authority, the war¬ 
rant, of Jehovah, is gone forth to this purpose. Thy 
blood and righteousness secure it. The Spirit sets his 
seal to it. Thou wilt receive, thou wilt bless, thou wilt 
cause all the Father hath given thee to come to thee; 
and thou wilt keep the door always open for all comers. 
O heavenly way ! O precious, endless salvation ! My 
soul! see to it that thou art entered in, and there 
abidest securely. O ye, my fellow sinners, yet with¬ 
out, rouse up from your carnal security and sloth be¬ 
fore the Master of the house hath arisen and shut to 
the door: and ye then, too late, cry out—Lord, Lord, 
open to us! Now is the accepted time; now is the 
day of salvation ! 


Behold the man whose name is The Branch. 

Zech. vi. 1 2. 

My soul! listen to the call, and behold this wonderful 
Man, whose name is The Branch ! Mark the wonder¬ 
ful features of his person. This is one of the prophetical 
names of Him, in the faith of whom, as the Redeemer 
of Israel, all the Old Testament saints died. The Branch 
of the Lord—the Branch of Righteousness; or, as he ^ 
25 * 



294 


SEPTEMBER 21. 


elsewhere called, the Nazarene. But observe how very 
descriptive of his nature is this title. He grows up out 
of his place. And where is that ?—In the eternal coun¬ 
sel of Jehovah. Who shall declare his generation? He 
is indeed a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch 
out of his roots. But all this as the root himself of 
David: planted in the eternal purpose of God’s own 
sovereign decree, and budding forth as a branch in all 
the periods of his incarnation, death, resurrection, as¬ 
cension, glory. And what a Branch of never-failing 
loveliness, and everlasting verdure and fruitfulness, in 
all the proclamations of his gospel, converting sinners, 
and comforting saints ! And what an eternal perennial 
Branch to all his redeemed in grace and glory. Hail, 
thou glorious, wonderful Man, whose name is The 
Branch ! Thou art, indeed, as the prophet described 
thee, beautiful and glorious in the eyes of all thy re¬ 
deemed. On thee, Lord, would I hang all the glory 
of thy Father’s house, and all the glory of my salva¬ 
tion. May it be my portion to sit under thy shadow 
with great delight here, until thou bring me home to 
sit under thee, the Tree of Life, in the Paradise of God, 
in the fulness of enjoyment of thee for ever. 


Ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost. 

Acts xi. 16 . 

Blessed promise ! realize it, O thou Holy Spirit! day 
by day, in and upon my soul. Bring me under the con¬ 
tinued baptisms of thy sovereign influence, and cause 
me to feel all the sweet anointings of the Spirit sent down 
upon the hearts and minds of thy redeemed, as the fruits 
and effects of Jesus’s exaltation, and the promise of God 
the Father! Yes, blessed Spirit! cause me to know 
thee in thy person, work, and power; in all thy offices, 
characters, and relations. I need thee, day by day, as 
my Comforter. I need thee, as the Spirit of truth, to 
guide me into all truth. I need thee, as the Remem¬ 
brancer of the Lord Jesus, to bring to my forgetful heart 
all the blessed things he hath revealed to me. I need 
thee, as the Witness of my Jesus, to testify of my wants, 



SEPTEMBER 22. 


295 


and his fulness to supply. I need thee, as the Glorifier 
of my Lord, to take of his, and show to me. I need 
thee, as my Advocate and Helper, in all my infirmities 
in prayer! I need thee, as the Earnest of the promised 
inheritance, that I may not faint, nor want faith to hold 
on and hold out in all dark seasons. I need thee, Lord; 
nay, I cannot do a moment without thee, nor act faith, 
nor believe a promise, nor exercise * 1 * 1 



constant, thine unceasing, agency 


Come then, Lord, I beseech thee, and let me be brought 
under thine unceasing baptisms. Shed abroad the love 
of God my Father in my heart, and direct me into the 
patient waiting for Jesus Christ! 


The justifier of him who believeth in Jesus. 


Romans iii. 26 . 


And who is this, indeed who can it be, but Jehovah? 
It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth ? 
But, my soul, mark how each Person of the Godhead 
is revealed in Scripture under this character; as if to 
convince every poor sinner that is looking for redemp¬ 
tion in Israel only in Jesus, that God can be just, and 
yet the Justifier of him that believeth in Jesus. God 
the Father justifieth the poor believing sinner: for he 
manifests that he is faithful and just to forgive us our 
sins, having found a ransom in the blood of his Son for 
sin, whereby he is faithful to all his covenant-promises 
in pardoning us, having received at our Lord’s hand 
double for all our sins. God the Son justifieth also his 
redeemed: for it is expressly said by the prophet, “In 
the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and 
shall glory.” And that God the Holy Ghost justifieth, 
is as evident also: because it was through the Eternal 
Spirit the offering of the body of Jesus Christ was 
offered, by which Christ is said to have been justified 
in the Spirit; arid believers are said to be justified by 
virtue of it in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the 
Spirit of our God. Hence all the Persons of the God¬ 
head concur in the act of justifying every believer in 
Jesus ; by whom we have peace with God, fellowship 



296 


SEPTEMBER 23—24. 


with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. Here 
then is a portion to live upon through life, in death, 
and to all eternity. 


Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no 
physician there? Why then is not the health 
of the daughter of my people recovered ? 

Jeremiah viii. 22. 

Yes ! there is both balm in Gilead, and a Physician 
there ! For the blood and righteousness of Jesus is 
the truest balm; and Jesus himself a Sovereign and 
an Almighty Physician. But if that blood be not ap¬ 
plied, if Jesus be not known nor consulted, how shall 
health be obtained ? My soul! hast thou known thy 
disease, felt thy disorder; art thou convinced that it 
is incurable by all human means—no medicine, no 
earthly physician, can administer relief? Hast thou 
known these things? And, convinced of the infinite 
importance of seeking elsewhere, art thou come to 
Jesus? What sayest thou, my soul, to the inquiry? 
Art thou acquainted with Jesus ? Hast thou made 
known thy case to him ? And hath he told thee all 
that is in thine heart? Hath he taken thee under his 
care ? Is he administering to thee the balm of Gilead ? 
Oh ! my soul, see to it that nothing satisfieth thy mind, 
until that thou hast heard his soul-reviving voice, say¬ 
ing, I am the Lord that healeth thee. Exod. xv. 26. 
Seek it for thy life, Say unto the Son of God— Speak 
but the word , Lord , and my soul shall be healed. 


How much owest thou unto my Lord ? 

Luke xvi. 5. 

My soul! if this question, which the unjust steward put 
to his lord’s debtors, were put to thee, concerning that 
immense debt which hath made thee insolvent for ever, 
what wouldst thou answer? Never couldst thou con- 




SEPTEMBER 25. 


297 


ceive the extent of it, much less think of paying the vast 
amount. A debtor to free grace for thy very being ; 
a debtor to free grace for thy well-being ; ten thousand 
talents, which the man in the parable owed his master, 
would not be sufficient to reckon up what thou in reality 
owest thy Lord, for even the common gift of nature and 
of providence. But when the calculation goeth on in 
grace, what archangel shall write down the sum total ? To 
the broken law of God, a bankrupt; exposed to the jus¬ 
tice of God; to the dreadful penalty of everlasting death; 
to the fears and alarms of a guilty conscience ; to the 
worm that dieth not; to the accusations of Satan, unable 
to answer one in a thousand! My soul! how much 
owest thou unto thy Lord ? Are there yet any other 
outstanding debts ? Oh ! yes, infinitely and beyond all 
these ! What thinkest thou, my soul, of Jesus ? How 
much owest thou to the Father’s love in giving, to the 
Redeemer’s love in coming, and to the Holy Ghost in 
making the whole effectual to thy soul’s joy ; by which 
Jesus hath paid all thy debts, cancelled all the demands 
of God’s righteous law, silenced Satan, answered justice ; 
and not only redeemed thee out of the hands of ever¬ 
lasting bondage, misery, and eternal death, but brought 
thee into his everlasting kingdom of freedom, joy, and 
glory ? Say, say, my soul, how much owest thou unto 
thy Lord ? Oh ! precious debt; ever increasing, and 
yet everlastingly making happy in owing. Lord Jesus ! 
I am thine, and thy servant for ever! thou hast .loosed 
my bonds! 


Thou shalt prepare thee a way, and divide 
the coasts of thy land (which the Lord thy 
God giveth thee to inherit) into three parts, 
that every slayer may flee thither. 

Deut. xix. 3. 

Sweet thought to my soul, that He who is the refuge 
is also the way to every poor soul-slayer, who hath mur¬ 
dered his own soul by sin. And who, my soul, could 
prepare thee this way, but God thy Father, who gave 



298 


SEPTEMBER 26. 


both Jesus for the way, and Jesus for the refuge ? And 
how hath God the Spirit pointed to the way, cast up and 
prepared it, by taking up the stumbling-blocks out of the 
way, as God saith of his people ? Isaiah lvii. 14. Is it 
not God the Holy Ghost that sets Jesus up, as Moses 
did the serpent; points to his person, to his blood, to his 
righteousness, as the sanctuary and the city of refuge to 
every poor sinner that is the man-slayer of his own soul ? 
And if what the Jews have said be true, that magistrates 
once a year made it their duty to have the roads examined, 
lest any obstruction should arise to block the path of the 
poor fugitive; and that they were obliged to set up a post 
at every turning and avenue, with the word Miklat — 
Refuge, upon it, to direct the murderer in his flight; 
well may ministers every day, and all the day, stand in 
the gates of the city, and in the high places of concourse, 
pointing to Jesus and crying out, “ Behold the Lamb of 
God, which taketh away the sin of the world !” Precious 
Lord Jesus ! lo, I am come to thee ; thou art my city of 
refuge—thou art the Miklat of my soul! Under thee, 
and in thee, I shall be safe* Cease, ye avengers of 
blood, your vain pursuit; Christ hath taken me in. 
Thou shalt answer for me, O Lord my God ! 


And they shall hang upon him all the glory 
of his father’s house .—Isaiah xxii. 2 4. 

And who is this but Jesus, the true Eliakim and Go¬ 
vernor of heaven and earth ? Jesus sweetly explained it 
himself, when declaring himself possessing the key of 
David. Rev. iii. 7. And hath not God the Father literally 
given all things into his hands? Is there any thing 
■which Jehovah hath kept back ? Hath it not pleased 
the Father, that in Him should all fulness dwell? Is not 
Jesus the Head over all things to the church, which is 
his body ? Is he not the Almighty Lord and Treasurer 
of all things—grace here, glory hereafter? And is not 
our Jesus the Administrator of all things in the world, 
both of providence and grace ? My soul! is there aught 
remaining to hang upon Jesus? Pause. Hast thou hung 
upon him all the glory of thy salvation ? Pause again, 



SEPTEMBER 27. 


299 


my soul. Is all and every tittle given ? Is there aught 
kept back ? Is there any Aclian in the camp of thine 
heart ? Forbid it, Lord ! See to it, my soul, (for it is 
thy life,) that thou art hanging all the glory of the Fa¬ 
ther’s house upon Jesus ! Make him not only the Alpha 
but the Omega also of thy salvation. And as the Father 
loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hands ; 
so do thou come to him for all things, receive from him 
all things, and ascribe to him all things, in the receipt of 
grace here, and glory hereafter—that Christ may be all, 
and in all, to the glory of God the Father ! Amen. 


He hath not despised nor abhorred the af¬ 
fliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid 
his face from him : but when he cried unto him, 
he heard .—Psalm xxii. 24. 

My soul! behold Jesus the Lamb of God in this sweet 
scripture. Is it not said of him, that in the days of his 
flesh he offered up.strong crying and tears, and was 
heard in that he feared ? Though he were a Son, yet 
.earned he obedience by the things which he suffered. 
And was Jesus the Holy One, the afflicted One also ? 
Was he truly so, when he bore thy sins? And was this 
the time to which the scripture refers, when God the 
Father had respect to the sufferings of Jesus, and neither 
despised nor abhorred them ? Did the Father behold him 
then through the whole as the sinner’s Surety, and gra¬ 
ciously accept Jesus, and the church in him ? Oh ! 
then, my soul, think of this in all thy trials and af¬ 
flictions. Carry all thy sins and sorrows to the throne. 
Jesus knows them all, sees them all—nay, appoints them 
all. He is always looking upon thee, and presenting thee 
in himself to the Father. And depend upon it, as thy 
afflictions are not only known by him, but appointed by 
him, he will measure out no more to thee than he will 
sanctify. And so far from abhorring or despising thy af¬ 
fliction, he will with every sorrow grant support, and 
with every temptation make a way to escape. Go then, 
my soul! cast all thy care upon him; for he careth for 
thee. 



300 


SEPTEMBER 28—29. 


And there was a rainbow round about the 
throne.— Rev. iv. 8 

Mark this, my soul! and connect it with what God 
said after the destruction of the old world by water:— 
“ I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a 
token of a covenant between me and the earth. And I 
will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting 
covenant between God and every living creature of all 
flesh.” And was not this rainbow round the throne 
which John saw, to tell the church of Jesus, on whom 
the Father is always looking, to remember his everlasting 
covenant of grace ? And what doth it say but this— 
there shall be no more a deluge, nor floods of vengeance 
poured out upon the sinner that believes in Jesus ? He 
looks to Christ, while the Father beholds Christ; he trusts 
in Jesus, whom the Father hath trusted with his honour; 
he accepts Jesus as the whole of the covenant, in whom 
the Father beholds the whole of the covenant fulfilled. 
Help me, Lord, in the view of every renewed token of 
the rainbow in the heavens, to connect with it the pro¬ 
mise of Jehovah to his poor redeemed upon earth. Yes, 
blessed Lord ! there is a rainbow round about the throne ; 
and Christ is the Bow which Jehovah hath set in the 
cloud. On him, my soul, gaze and feast thy ravished 
eyes. On him thy God and Father looks, and is well 
pleased. 


And it came to pass, when the vessels were 
full, that she said unto her son, Bring me an¬ 
other vessel. And he said unto her, There is 
not a vessel more. And the oil stayed. 

2 Kings iv. 6. 

Do I not see Jesus and his fulness here ? His giving 
out never ceaseth, until we have no more empty vessels 
to receive. And surely it is but proper the oil of grace 
should stay, when there are no more souls to be supplied. 
Pity indeed would it be, that any thing so precious should 
be spilt on the ground. My soul! art thou not poor as 



SEPTEMBER 30. 


301 


this poor woman ? Is the Creditor come to take thee for 
bondage ? Cry mightily to Jesus, the Lord God of 
the prophets. And wilt thou borrow vessels to receive his 
bounty ? Borrow not a few ; for every vessel must fail 
before that Jesus fails. Hast thou filled all ? See then 
that thy Almighty Creditor is paid from Jesus’s bounty; 
for he hath paid all thy debt; and see that thou live 
henceforth on Jesus’s fulness ! O bountiful Lord ! let 
me learn from hence sweet lessons of faith. There is 
no narrowness in thee, but all fulness. All thou hast, 
moreover, is for sinners. And, precious Lord ! art thou 
not glorified in giving out to sinners ? Is it not thy glory, 
thy delight so to do ? Art thou not pleased when sinners 
come to thee ? Oh ! for grace to come to thee, and to 
know and believe that it is thy glory and thy pleasure 
to receive them. Indeed, indeed, thou keepest open 
house—an open hand, an open heart. Lord ! give me 
daily, hourly, to come empty to thee to be filled; with 
grace here, and glory hereafter ! 


And this day shall be unto you for a memo¬ 
rial.— Exodus xii. 14. 

It is blessed to end the month, and end every day, 
as we would wish and desire to end life, blessing and 
praising God in Christ; rising from the table of divine 
bounties, and thanking the great Master of the feast. 
Pause, my soul! and see whether, in the past month, 
such hath been thine experience of sovereign grace and 
unmerited mercies, that thou canst now set up thine 
Ebenezer, and mark this day for a memorial. What 
visits hath Jesus made to thee, my soul; and how hath 
thine heart been drawn out after him ? Hath the Father 
as well as the Son come and made his abode with thee ? 
Hath the Holy Ghost, the glorious Inhabitant in the souls 
and bodies of his people, manifested his continued pre¬ 
sence to thee? This day is indeed a memorial, if, in 
summing up the wonderful account of divine manifesta¬ 
tions and divine love in providence and grace, during the 
month now nearly closed, and the years already passed, 
thou canst mark down the blessed enumeration. And 
26 



302 


OCTOBER 1. 


will not my Lord, while the day is not passed, and yet 
remains to be added to the month, will he not make it 
memorable by some renewed favour ? Oh! for some 
new visits from Father, Son, and Spirit—this morning-, 
this day, and all the day! As long as I live I would have 
my soul going forth in exercises of faith and love upon 
the person of Emmanuel, that I may carefully mark 
down the numberless instances of it: here, I would say, 
Jesus visited me; here it was he met me, here he showed 
me his loves, and made the place and day ever memo¬ 
rable by his grace. 


OCTOBER. 

Shiloh.— Gen. xlix. 10. 

Precious name of the Lord Jesus ! how blessed hath 
it been in all ages to thy people! O Lord, make it 
as ointment poured forth this morning to my soul! Both 
Jews and Christians alike agree in it, that it belongs only 
to the Messiah. And how then is it that they do not see 
Christ in it, even our Jesus, who suffered under Pontius 
Pilate, and died, as Caiaphas predicted the expediency, 
that one man should die for the people, and that he 
should fulfil the dying patriarch’s prediction, by gather- 
ingtogether in one the children of God which were scat¬ 
tered abroad ? That Jesus answered to Jacob’s prediction, 
and none but Jesus ever did, is evident from their own 
testimony :—“ We have a law,” said they to Pilate, “ and 
by that law he ought to die.” Now, then, they themselves 
hereby confessed that, as Jacob prophesied, the Law¬ 
giver was not departed from Israel when Christ came. 
And when they added, “We have no king but Caesar,” 
certain it was, from their own testimony, the sceptre was 
gone out of the family of Judah, when the heathen em¬ 
peror was king. Think of these evidences, my soul, and 
feast thyself upon the precious name of thy Shiloh. Thy 
Jesus, thy Shiloh, thy Almighty Deliverer, is come. He 
is both thy Lawgiver and thy Law-fulfiller; thy God 
and thy King, who sprang out of Judah. O thou 
glorious Shiloh! let my soul be gathered to thee, to live 
upon thee and to thee: and do thou, Lord, arise out of 



OCTOBER 2—3. 


303 


Zion; and, when the fulness of the Gentiles be coni' 
pleted, let both Jew and Gentile be gathered into one 
fold, of which be thou the ever-living, ever-loving, ever- 
governing Shiloh! to bless them in thyself forever. Amen. 


By night on my bed I sought him whom 
my soul loveth .—Song iii. 1. 

Pause, my soul, over this account which the church 
gives of herself, and see whether such be thine exercises. 
It is night indeed in the soul whenever Christ is absent, 
or his presence not enjoyed. And though, blessed be 
God ! the believer’s interest in Christ varies not, yet 
his joy in the sense of safety is not always the same. 
Though it be the bed of affliction, or the bed of sick¬ 
ness, it is not the bed of carnal security, when the soul 
seeks Jesus. We cannot be said to be in a cold, life¬ 
less, and indifferent state, while Jesus is sought for. It 
may be night indeed, it may be a dark season ; yet, 
nevertheless, when we can say, With my soul have I 
sought thee in the night, yea, with my spirit within me 
will I seek thee early—surely this earnestness implies 
grace, and love, and desire, in lively exercise. However 
dull, stupid, and unprofitable, at times, ordinances and 
means of grace may seem; still grace, like the live coal 
under the embers, is not gone out, nor extinguished. 
Him whom my soul loveth frequently breaks out, and 
plainly shows that Jesus still lives and reigns within. 
O precious Lord, thou art still the lovely one, the chief 
one, and the fairest among ten thousand. Be thou all in 
all, the hope of glory. 


Even the righteousness of God, which is by 
faith of Jesus Christ unto all, and upon all, 
them that believe ; for there is no difference. 

Romans iii. 22. 

Here, my soul, is a morning portion for thee ! Surely 
here is enough for a morning portion, for poor believing 
souls to live upon to all eternity. Mark, my soul, what 
is here said. That righteousness of the Lord Jesus 




304 


OCTOBER 4. 


Christ, which he wrought out for his church, is the 
righteousness of God ; for, as he was God as well as man, 
his righteousness was, to all intents and purposes, the 
righteousness of God. Now the sin of Adam, and the 
sin of all Adam’s children, put the whole together, form 
but the sins of creatures ; consequently, the righteousness 
of the Lord Jesus Christ is more than an equivalent, a 
more full payment than their debt can demand, because 
it is the righteousness of the Creator. Sweet thought! 
for God is more honoured by Christ’s obedience than 
dishonoured by our disobedience. And observe, my 
soul, how this righteousness is the church of Christ’s, 
namely, by faith; it is unto all, and upon all, that be¬ 
lieve. It is received by faith. The scripture language 
of this unspeakable mercy is, that as it was imputed to 
Abraham for righteousness, so it shall be imputed unto 
us also, if we believe on Him that raised up our Lord 
Jesus from the dead. This is another delightful portion 
of this precious verse. Neither is this all—for, as if to 
encourage the poorest, weakest, and most timid believer, 
this righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus 
Christ unto all, and upon all, that believe, hath no differ¬ 
ence in its blessed effect. All partakers of it are alike 
partakers. By him, (that is, by Christ,) the scripture 
saith, all that believe are justified from all things. Acts 
xii. 39. So that, though the faith of an Abraham or of 
a Peter might have been vastly greater than the timid 
Ananias, or the poor man that came to Christ for his son, 
saying, “ Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbeliefyet 
the justification by Christ, to all, is one and the same— 
it is to all, and upon all, that believe ; for there is no 
difference. Oh! precious righteousness of the God-man 
Christ Jesus ! 


Behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee 
in all places whither thou goest: for I will not 
leave thee, until that I have done that which 1 
have spoken to thee of.— Genesis xxviii. 15. 

Here is a promise to Jacob, and not to Jacob only, 
personally considered, but to Jacob’s seed. For the 



OCTOBER 5. 


305 


apostle Paul was commissioned, by the Holy Ghost, to 
tell the church of Jesus, that we, as Isaac was, are the 
children of promise. Hence this, like all other promises 
in Christ Jesus, is yea and amen. Pause, then, my soul, 
and ask thyself, What hath the Lord spoken to thee of? 
Hath he met with thee in Bethel, as he found Jacob ? 
And hath he here spoken unto thee ? How wilt thou 
know ? Very plainly. Jesus hath met with thee, hath 
indeed spoken unto thee ; if so be thou hast seen thine 
own unworthiness and sinfulness by nature and by prac¬ 
tice ; and if thou hast seen the King in his beauty, 
even Jesus, in his own glory, suitableness, and all-suf¬ 
ficiency, as a Saviour: and inclined thine heart by his 
grace to believe in him, to depend upon him, and to 
live to him and his glory. What sayest thou, my sou), 
to these things ? Is this promise, made to Jacob and 
his seed, thine ? If so, live upon Jesus, and plead the 
fulfilment of it daily, hourly ! Say to him, my soul, 
Lord! what hast thou spoken to me of, but mercy, pardon, 
peace, and grace, with all spiritual blessings, in Christ 
Jesus ? And what have I to depend upon, or what indeed 
can I need more, but thy promise and the great Promiser ? 
Yes, Lord Jesus ! I do depend, I do believe. Surely thou 
wilt never leave whom thou hast once loved ; and there¬ 
fore thou wilt not leave me, until thou hast done that which 
thou hast spoken of in grace here, and wilt complete in 
glory hereafter. 

He goeth before you into Galilee : there 
shall ye see him.— Mark xvi. 7. 

Mark this, my soul, in all thy goings forth ; look out 
for thy gracious, glorious Forerunner; and see whether 
the same going before thee of thy Lord hath not been 
from everlasting. Was it not Jesus that was set up as 
the Head of his people from everlasting ? Did he not 
then go before them, when he went forth for the salvation 
of his people ? In the council of peace, did lie not go 
before them; not only before we knew our need, but 
before we had a being ? In all his covenant-engage¬ 
ments, as the Surety of his people, he went before them. 
And in all his offices, characters, and relations, he was 
26 * 



306 


OCTOBER 6. 


preventing us with the blessings of his goodness. And, 
in the personal salvation of every individual of his re¬ 
deemed, was not Jesus beforehand in quickening, illu¬ 
minating, redeeming mercy ? If we love him , is it not 
because he first loved us ? And what is it now ? Do not 
his mercies go before our prayers; and before we call, 
doth not. Jesus answer ? And will it not be so during 
the whole day of grace, even to the eternal day of glory ? 
Precious Jesus ! surely thou art going before me into 
Galilee. Oh! for grace to follow the Lamb whither¬ 
soever he goeth. And do thou, Lord, walk with me, and 
talk with me, as thou didst to the disciples in the way; 
and make thyself known unto me in continual manifesta¬ 
tions, and in breaking of bread, and in prayer. 


Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour 
out your heart before him. God is a refuge 
for us. Selah .—Psalm lxii. 8. 

My soul! the Holy Ghost hath marked this verse 
with Selah ; therefore pray observe it. You see the ar¬ 
gument for trust, because God, that is the Elohim, is a 
refuge. Yes ! God the father is a refuge, in his cove¬ 
nant-engagements, word, oath, promises. God the Son 
is a refuge, in his suretiship-engagements, in his perfect 
righteousness, in his blood-cleansing, sin-atoning death 
and salvation ; and in all his securities of grace here, 
and glory hereafter. God the Holy Ghost is a refuge, 
in all his blessed offices, characters, and relations; by 
which he undertakes and fulfils all the purposes of salva¬ 
tion, in the glorifying the Father and the Son, to every 
poor believer’s joy and comfort. And wilt thou not, my 
soul, then trust in this glorious Elohim ? Wilt thou not 
pour out thyself before him, and trust in him at all times 
at any time, at every time ? Nay, wilt thou not call 
upon all the people to this soul-rewarding service, and 
tell them of his grace and glory ? Come hither, I would 
say, and hearken, all ye that fear God ; and I will tell 
you what he hath done for my soul. Oh ! let us magnify 
his name together; for he is a rock, and his work is 
perfect. 



OCTOBER 7—8. 


307 


Looking for that blessed hope, and the glo¬ 
rious appearing of the great God, and our Sa¬ 
viour Jesus Christ.— Titus ii. 13. 

Pause, my soul, over these sweet and solemn words ! 
Is Jesus my hope ? Surely then it is a blessed hope ; 
for all blessings are in him. Art thou looking for his 
appearing ? Pause—for the thought is solemn. How 
shall I know? Suppose this moment the trumpet of 
the archangel were to sound, Arise ye dead, and come 
to judgment—my soul! art thou ready ? Pause once 
more. Do I long for Jesus appearing now, in the con¬ 
version of every poor sinner? Do I rejoice to hear, at 
any time, that a soul is born to God ? If so, is not this 
looking for his appearing ? Again—Do I long for Jesus 
appearing in the after manifestations of his grace to the 
souls of the people ? for this is to rejoice with them that 
do rejoice, and to prove a family interest. Again—Is 
Jesus precious to me; and do I long for the renewal 
of his visits, as the earth longeth for the rising sun ? 
When I read his word, sing his praise, call upon his 
name, mingle in the congregation, go to his table; is 
his appearing upon all these occasions precious now, 
and are his love-tokens sweeter to my soul than honey, 
and the honeycomb ? If, my soul, thou canst bear a 
cheerful testimony to these things, and canst truly call 
them blessed now; surely the hope of Jesus’s second 
coming is blessed also, and thou canst well subscribe 
to the apostle’s words ; for his appearing being now 
gracious , will then be glorious , in the appearing of the 
great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. 


But him they saw not .—Luke xxiv. 24. 

Mark, my soul, what is here said. Though Jesus 
sought out his disciples in the morning of his resurrec¬ 
tion, and was found of them that sought him not; yet 
many saw him not, while he was thus gracious to many 
that looked not for him. So it is now. Many, like 
those women, have seen the sepulchre as it were of Jesus, 
heard his word; nay, many saw his body when on earth, 



308 


OCTOBER 9. 


yet saw not God in Christ in him. “ The grace of God,” 
saith the apostle, “hath appeared unto all men;” that 
is, the gospel grace is preached in common- before be¬ 
lievers and unbelievers ; but believers only see Jesus as 
the wisdom and the power of God for salvation : of others 
it may be said as here, but him they see not. O pre¬ 
cious Jesus ! give me to see thee as the Sent and Sealed 
of the Father, that my soul may have such a saving sight 
and knowledge of thee as the apostle had, which flesh 
and blood cannot reveal, but the Father only which is 
in heaven. O heavenly Father! give me the spirit of 
wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of thy dear 
Son; and do by me as by Paul—reveal thy Son in me. 


And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; 
and I am glorified in them .—John xvii. 10. 

Precious testimony of a precious truth. See to it, my 
soul, that thou suffer not these blessed words of Jesus to 
drop from thy remembrance ; hut make them the ever¬ 
lasting meditation, not only of this morning, but every 
morning, and every day, and all the day; and mark thine 
interest in them. All Jesus’s treasures, in his people 
and his grace, are still the Father’s; for as Jesus and the 
Father are one in essence and in will, so also in property. 
And the Father’s giving the church to Jesus, with all 
blessings in him, doth not alienate the Father’s right. 
So, in like manner, all that Jesus hath are the Father’s, 
and Christ is glorified in them. It is a blessed order in 
the work and purpose of redemption, to trace the Father 
as the original Giver, Fountain, and Source of all. And 
then to trace them as Jesus’s, by virtue of his being the 
glorious Mediator. And hence the Holy Ghost is said 
to take them as Jesus’s, and show unto the people. The 
Holy Ghost doth not take them immediately from the 
Father, but mediately from Christ; because, without the 
person and work of Jesus, they never could have been 
communicated to us. So that Christ is glorified by the 
Holy Spirit in the hearts of his people, when that blessed 
Spirit takes them, and gives them, and shows them, not 
immediately as the Father’s, but as the fruit and conse- 



OCTOBER 10—11. 


309 


quence of Christ’s merits and death : and thus showing 
the common interest both of Father and Son, in all the 
blessed things of salvation. My soul! dost thou un¬ 
derstand these precious things ? Oh, then, live in the 
enjoyment of them, and see that Jesus is glorified, and 
the Father glorified, in his dear and ever blessed Son. 


That ye may know how that the Lord doth 
put a difference between the Egyptians and 
Israel.— Exod. xi. 7. 

Who shall mark down all the properties of distin¬ 
guishing grace ? What a vast difference doth grace 
make, in this life, between him that serveth God and 
him that serveth him not! And what an everlasting 
difference will be made in the life which is to come! 
My soul! make this thought the subject of thine un¬ 
ceasing meditation. Thou canst not walk the street, 
nor go to public worship, nor watch the Lord’s deal¬ 
ings in all the vast and numberless dispensations going 
on in life, in the wide world of providence and grace, 
but what every thing speaks, in the language of the 
Morning Portion, of the difference there is still put 
between the Egyptians and Israel. Every thing pro¬ 
claims it, every event confirms it. And do not over¬ 
look the,great point of all. It is the Lord that doth all 
this. Who maketh thee to differ from another? Oh ! 
for grace to be always on the watch-tower to mark 
this, and for grace to acknowledge it! Precious Jesus ! 
thou art the Source, the Fountain, the Author, the 
Finisher, of all. Oh! the depth of the riches, both 
of the wisdom and knowledge of God ! How un¬ 
searchable are thy judgments, and thy ways past find¬ 
ing out! 


He wakeneth morning by morning: he waken- 
eth mine ear to hear as the learned .—Isaiah 1.4. 

Who is this but Jesus in his human nature, of whom 
the prophet speaks ? Eminently to him doth it refer, to 




310 


OCTOBER 12. 


whom was given the tongue of the learned, that he might 
know hoAV to speak a word to him that is weary. Pre¬ 
cious Lord ! it is indeed thy province, and thine only, to 
speak a word to weary souls, and to be the rest where 1 
with thou causest the weary to rest, and to be their re¬ 
freshing. Not only to give them rest, but thyself to be 
their rest. Not only to give them salvation, but thyself 
to be their salvation.—But, blessed Lord! may not a 
poor soul like myself say of thee also, that thou waken- 
est me morning by morning ? for who is it but Jesus, 
that by the sweet influences of the Spirit wakens his 
people morning by morning, and openeth the ear to 
hear, and the eye to see, and the heart to feel, the 
blessed tokens of his coming? Have I not found thee, 
Lord, wakening my soul sometimes before the dawn of 
day, and calling my soul up in gracious meditation, to- 
attend to the soft whispers of thy love ? Have I not heard 
thee saying, as to the church of old, Rise up, my love, 
my fair one, and come away ? And hast thou not made 
my soul, or ever I was aware, like the chariots of Ammi- 
nadib ? Do thou, Lord, waken me, I beseech thee, morn¬ 
ing by morning, and while thou art thus speaking to my 
soul, let mine answer be, My voice shalt thou hear be¬ 
times, O Lord, in the morning; early will I direct my 
prayer unto thee, and will look up. My soul shall wait 
for thee, more than they that watch for the morning; 
yea, I say, more than they that watch for the morning. 


And this man shall be the peace, when the 
Assyrian shall come into our land.— Mic. v. 5. 

What man is this but the Glory-man, the Mediator 
between God and men, the man Christ Jesus ? And what 
peace, when all enemies oppose the soul, but peace in 
the blood of his cross ? Yes, my soul! Jesus is the won¬ 
derful man, who alone could make thy peace. For as it 
was by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, 
so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. 
And none but one in our own n,ature could redeem that 
nature, for the right of redemption belonged only to him. 
Levit. xxv. 25. And none but one in our nature could 



OCTOBER 13—14. 


311 


atone, could bleed, could die, and arise again, that he 
might be the judge, both of the dead and living. O 
Drecious Jesus ! how suited wert thou by the union of 
the two natures, as God and man, and God-man, both 
in one, to be our glorious Mediator, and to be the Lord 
our righteousness ! Yes, precious Lord ! God hath said 
it, and my soul evermore rejoiceth in the blessed truth: 
this man Christ Jesus shall be my peace, my glory, my 
salvation, my refuge, when the Assyrian shall come 
into our land. 


Jesus made a Surety.— Heb. vii. 22. 

My soul, look at Jesus as a Surety, and as made thy 
Surety this morning.—Blessed view, if so be the Holy 
Ghost will enlighten thine eyes to see him under all these 
characters. First, a Surety. We are all ruined by a 
debt, incapable of being ever paid by any, or by all, the 
fallen sons of Adam. Jesus steps in, becomes a Surety 
for our debt, and pays the whole by his obedience and 
death. But we owe a duty also, as well as a debt. Jesus 
becomes here again the Surety. He will put his Spirit 
in us, and we shall live. He becomes also a Surety for 
promises, that all God hath promised for his sake shall 
be fulfilled in him, and in us for him. But he is not only 
a Surety, but made a Surety ; for the Father’s name, and 
the Father’s authority, is in him. It is God the Father 
which saith, I have given him for a covenant. Precious 
thought for faith to act upon. And, my soul, is not Jesus 
thy Surety ? Yes, if while the Father thus freely gives, 
thou as fully receivest, and art looking to no other. Say 
then, my soul, is it not so with thee T Is not Jesus thy 
all in all, thy Surety, thy Sponsor, thy Redeemer? And 
dost thou not say, Thou shalt answer for me, O Lord, my 
God ? Oh! comprehensive word, Jesus made a Surety ! 


Behold, I give you power to tread on ser¬ 
pents and scorpions, and over all the power of 
the enemy .—Luke x. 19. 

Astonishing the mercy, and wonderful the privilege, 




312 


OCTOBER 15. 


manifested to the followers of the Lamb! Poor, and 
weak, and helpless, as they are in themselves, yet how 
strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus ! My soul! 
never lose sight of these blessed things. In Jesus thou 
art not only a conqueror, but more than conqueror. As 
the armies in heaven overcame by the blood of the Lamb, 
so here below, it is all in him, and by him, the victory is 
obtained. God will bruise Satan under our feet shortly ; 
but it is God that must bruise him, and it is he that 
must put him under our feet. Oh! for grace to see 
where our strength is, and as cheerfully to ascribe all 
to him ; that He in whom we are made to tread on ser¬ 
pents and scorpions may have the glory due to his name, 
and he who gives the strength may have the praise. 


Whose names are in the book of life. 

Philippians iv. 3. 

How is this known ? It must be a blessed privilege this, 
and highly desirable to attain, if there be a true scriptural 
testimony to it. That there is a book of life,, in which 
the record is made of the people of the Lamb, is without 
all dispute, from many parts of scripture. The church 
of the first-born are said to have their names written in 
heaven ; such as are chosen of God in Christ before the 
world began. But these are secret things, which belong 
to the Lord our God. Yet it is said the secret of the 
Lord is with them that fear him, and he will show them 
his covenant. Hence, therefore, is not the Bible a copy 
of this book of life ? Are there not scriptural marks and 
characters given, by which the correspondence is proved ? 
In both, they are distinguished by one and the same 
name and character. They are called the people , the 
seed , the offspring , of Jesus. They are his, by gift, by 
purchase, by conquest, by a voluntary surrender. They 
are known by the character as well as byname. They 
seek salvation only in Jesus. God is their Father, Jesus 
their Redeemer, the Holy Ghost their Sanctifier. My 
soul! see thy name in Bible characters answering to this 
persuasion, and be assured, that the original writing of 
the book of life in heaven, and the book of God for life 



OCTOBER 16—17. 


313 


upon earth, is his written word, is in exact correspond¬ 
ence. Blessed Jesus ! give me in this way to know whose 
l am, and to whom I belong, and then assured shall I 
be that my name is in the book of life. 


We will make thee borders of gold, with studs 
of silver .—Song i. 11. 

My soul, ponder over these words. What borders of 
gold shall be made for the believer, but the robe of 
Jesus’s righteousness ? And what silver but the garment 
of his salvation ? If thou art clothed with this, my soul, 
thou wilt shine, indeed, with more lustre than all the em¬ 
broidery of gold and precious stones, which perish with 
using. But mark, my soul, who it is that makes them, 
and who puts them on thee!—Surely none but God. And 
observe how all the persons of the Godhead are engaged 
in this work. We will make thee, is the language. Yes, 
Jehovah Elohim,who said, Let us make man, at the ori¬ 
ginal creation ; the same nowsaith, at the new creation, 
We will make thee borders of gold, with studs of silver. 
And is it not the hand of God the Father in this blessed, 
gracious act, in the gift of his Son to the poor sinner ? Is 
it not Jesus who hath wrought out a robe of salvation for 
the poor sinner ? And is it not the Holy Ghost, who puts 
on the blessed adorning upon the poor sinner, in taking 
of the things of Jesus, and showing unto him ? Oh ! pre¬ 
cious testimony of a precious God in Christ. Be it unto 
me, Lord, according to thy word. Let me be thus clothed 
and adorned, and I shall be happy now, and happy to 
all eternity. 


And in the cities of Judah shall the flocks 
pass again under the hands of him that telleth 
them, saith the Lord .—Jeremiah xxxiii. 13. 

See, my soul, what a blessed scripture is here ! Medi¬ 
tate upon it this morning. Whose hands can these be 
but Jesus’s ? For whose are the flocks but hjs ? Is he 
27 




314 


OCTOBER 18. 


not in all the scripture said to be a Shepherd, and the 
good Shepherd that giveth his life for the sheep ? And 
would he give his life for sheep he knew not ? Surely 
that is impossible. Moreover, did not the Father give 
them to him ? Did he not receive them from the Father,? 
And did he not know them, and count them over, when 
he received them ? I know my sheep, saith Jesus, and 
am known of mine. And observe, the flocks are said to 
pass again under his hands. A plain proof that they 
have all passed before. Nay, is it not said that he telleth 
them ? Yes ! He calleth them all by name, and leadeth 
them forth, and goeth before them. And he saith him¬ 
self, Of all thou hast given me, I have lost none. Pre¬ 
cious scripture of a most precious Saviour ! How then 
can any be lost ? If Jesus knew them when he received 
them, counted them over, set his seal upon them, and they 
must all pass again under this almighty hand, how shall 
one, even one, be found wanting, when he maketh up his 
jewels? Poor, weather-beaten, shorn lamb of Jesus’s fold, 
whosoever thou art, think of these things, when wander¬ 
ing, or cold, or in darkness, or on the mountains ! Jesus 
will seek thee out in the dark and cloudy day. He will 
bring thee home, and thou shalt lie in his bosom, and by 
and by dwell with him for ever : for he is, he must, he 
will still be Jesus, 


And God heard their groaning, and God re¬ 
membered his covenant.— Exod. ii. 24. 

This is a precious scripture. My soul, put a note upon 
it. No sigh, no groan, no tear of God’s people can pass 
unobserved. He putteth the tears of his people in his 
bottle. Surely, theu, he can never overlook what gives 
vent to those tears, the sorrows of the soul. Our spiritual 
afflictions Jesus knows, and numbers all. How sweet the 
thought! The Spirit maketh intercession for the saints, 
with the groanings which they cannot utter. And do, my 
soul, observe the cause of deliverance. Not our sighs, 
nor our groanings, nor our brokenness of heart; not these, 
for what benefit can these render to a holy God ? But 
God hath respect in all to his own everlasting covenant. 



OCTOBER 19. 


315 


Yes, Jesus isthe all in all of the covenant. God the Father 
hath respect to him. For his sake, for his righteousness, 
for his atoning blood, thegroanings of his people find au¬ 
dience at the mercy-seat, and redress. And God hath 
respect to his own word, his oath, his promises to his dear 
Son. Oh ! blessed assurance ! Oh! precious security ! 
How shall any poor groaning child of God go unheard, 
unpardoned, unrelieved ; who hath double security, in 
the glory of God the Father’s sovereign grace and cove¬ 
nant word and oath, to depend upon : and the everlast¬ 
ing covenant righteousness and atoning blood of God 
the Son to be found in ? Here, my soul, rest, for ever 
rest, thy sure claim to grace and glory. 


There shall be no more thence an infant of 
days, nor an old man that hath not filled his 
days; for the child shall die an hundred years 
old, but the sinner being an hundred years old 
shall be accursed .—Isaiah lxv. 20. 

My soul! contemplate, this morning, the auspicious 
and blessed effects brought into the circumstances of man¬ 
kind by the gospel. Not only shall there be new heavens 
and a new earth, but new hearts, new minds, new dispo¬ 
sitions to enjoy them. If any man be in Christ he is a new 
creature. Old things are passed away, and all things are 
become new. And among the many blessed changes that 
shall take place in consequence of Jesus’s salvation, all 
untimely deaths are done away. Indeed there can be no 
such thing as an untimely death to those who are in 
Christ: for a voice from heaven pronounced all blessed 
that die in the Lord. A child new born, if born also in 
Christ, an infant of a day, if a gracious day, is as ripe 
for glory as if a hundred years had passed over him. 
Indeed, he is a hundred years old in Jesus. Sweet 
thought! what a blessedness,dearest Jesus, hath thy great 
salvation introduced into thecircumstances of thy people. 
But what an awful thought! the life of an unawakened, 
unregenerated sinner, though protracted to a hundred 
years, is lengthened only to misery. As he came into 



316 


OCTOBER 20—21. 


the world, so he goes through it, and so he goes out of 
it, an unrenewed sinner ! Oh! distinguishing grace ! 
Oh ! great salvation ! 


Christ is all, and in all.— Colos. iii. 11. 

Hail, thou great, thou glorious, thou universal Lord. 
To thee, blessed Jesus! every knee shall bow. Thou art 
all in all, in creation, redemption, providence, grace, 
glory. Thou art all in all in thy church, and in the hearts 
of thy people : in all their joys, all their happiness, all 
their exercises, all their privileges. Thou art the all in 
all in thy word, ordinances, means Qf grace, the sum and 
substance of the whole Bible. Speak we of promises ? 
Thou art the first promise in the sacred word, and the 
whole of every promise that follows: for all in thee are 
yea and amen. Speak we of the law ? Thou art the end 
of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. 
Speak we of sacrifices ? By thy one sacrifice thou hast 
for ever perfected them that are sanctified. Speak we 
of the prophecies ? To thee give all the prophets wit¬ 
ness, that whosoever believeth in thee shall receive re¬ 
mission of sins. Yes ! blessed, blessed Jesus ! thou art 
the all in all. Be thou to me, Lord, the all in all I need 
in time, and then surely thou wilt be my all in all to all 
eternity ! 


All are yours; and ye are Christ’s; and 
Christ is God’s.—1 Cor . iii. 22 , 23. 

Oh ! what a rich inventory is here ! All things, all 
blessings, all gifts, all grace, all mercy; all, all, the 
Christian’s. And observe, my soul, on what it is suspend¬ 
ed—if ye are Christ’s. And whose art thou, my soul, 
but his ? Hath not the Father given thee to him ? And 
hath not the Son of God bought thee with a price ? Hast 
thou not made a voluntary surrender of thyself to Jesus, 
and given thyself to him in an everlasting covenant which 
cannot be broken ? Oh ! yes, yes, all this is certain. 
Lord, grant me grace, and faith in lively exercise, that I 
may now take to myself all the blessedness of it by antici¬ 
pation, until I come to realize the whole in absolute enjoy- 




OCTOBER 22—23. 


317 


ment, in glory. Christ is mine, and, with him, heaven is 
mine ; God the Father is mine ; the Holy Ghost is mine ; 
all covenant blessings are mine ; ordinances, means of 
grace, the holy book of God, all are mine here, and will 
be my portion for evermore. Hallelujah. 


The Lord will command his loving-kindness 
in the day time, and in the night his song shall 
be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my 
life .—Psalm xlii. 8. 

Both night and day open sources of comfort, when 
Jesus is present, and when Jesus sacrifices. How, indeed, 
my soul, canst thou be otherwise than comfortable, while 
Jesus is with thee, and manifesting himself unto thee ? 
And do observe, my soul, the sweet expression in this 
verse. Thy Lord, thy Jesus, will both create blessings 
and command them. His loving-kindness, which is bet¬ 
ter than life itself, will make daylight in the soul, when 
otherwise it is night. And his love will shine, as the 
stars in the darkest night sparkle with more lustre, with 
increasing brightness,when dark providences are around. 
Nay, Jesus will give songs in the night, when all things 
else are out of tune. Do thou, Lord ! do thou, my Lord, 
command then thy loving-kindness both by day and 
night; and my prayer and praise shall both go forth to 
thee, the God of my life, and it shall put more gladness 
in my heart than when com, and wine, and oil increase. 


Now therefore go, and I will be with thy 
mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say. 

Exodus iv. 12. 

My soul! pause over this sweet promise which the 
Lord gave to Moses, for surely the same is in effect said 
to every minister, every child of God, and every believer. 
He that made man’s mouth, will give every thing suitable 
to the mouth, and proportion everything to the necessity 
of his people. And do, my soul, remark the compre- 
27* 




318 


OCTOBER 24. 


hensiveness of the promise. Will not He who under¬ 
takes to he with the mouth, he also with all the renewed 
faculties of the soul? Jesus gives the tongue of the 
learned. Jesus gives grace to the lips, understanding 
to the heart, eyes to the blind, feet to the lame : the bread 
shall be given, and the water shall be sure; and the de¬ 
fence shall be the munition of rocks. Go then, my soul, 
go wheresoever the Lord leads : for he saith, Be not 
afraid, I am with thee, I am thy God. Learn, my soul, 
then to eye Jesus in all, and depend upon it, Jesus will 
bless thee in the use of all. Make his glory thy aim, 
and thy happiness will be his glory. 


And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the 
midst of many people as a dew from the Lord, 
as the showers upon the grass, that tarrieth 
not for man, nor w r aiteth for the sons of men. 

Micah v. 7. 

Observe, my soul, the character given of Jacob’s seed, 
and bless the Lord for being included in the number. 
For so saith the apostle, If ye be Christ’s, then are ye 
Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. 
Mark, then, their characters. They are a remnant. But 
they are God’s remnant, being in covenant with God in 
Christ; and, as such, distinguished and separated from 
the world. They are a people that dwell alone, and not 
reckoned among the nations. They are in the midst of 
many people, but belong to none of them. For though 
living in the world, they are not of the world, but chosen 
out of the world. They are, moreover, as a dew from 
the Lord. Beautiful resemblance ! For as the dew is 
from heaven, so believers in Christ are born from above : 
not of the will of the flesh, nor of the w r ill of man, but 
of God. Moreover, they are as showers upon the grass ; 
meaning, that as Jesus is promised to come down as 
showers upon the mown grass to refresh his people, so 
his people live in a constant dependence upon Jesus, and 
receive out of his fulness, while all the earth is dry as 
stubble around them. Moreover, as the rain waiteth 
not for man, but wholly falls from God’s appointment, 



OCTOBER 25—26. 


319 


so grace is not dispensed for man’s desert, but the Lord’s 
free bounty. Oh ! precious promise, or rather precious 
cluster of promises, and all in Jesus. 


My beloved is unto me as a cluster of cam- 
phire in the vineyards of Engedi .—Song i. 14. 

How full indeed, how infinitely full, abundant, and 
soul-satisfying, is Jesus, in all that concerns life, light, 
grace, glory ! A cluster of all is Christ; whether the 
copher of medicine to heal, or of sweetness to satisfy, or 
of riches to enlarge, or salvation to impart. Every way, 
and in every thing that is lovely or desirable, Jesus is a 
cluster indeed to his people. And whether we meet him 
in the valley or the mount, in the plains of Jericho, or 
the vineyards of Engedi, neither place nor situation, nei¬ 
ther state nor circumstances, make any alteration in our 
Beloved ; he is, he must be, Jesus, and that is always 
lovely. 


He went on frowardly in the way of his 
heart: I have seen his ways and will heal him. 
t Isaiah lvii. 17, 18. 

Pause, my soul, over this sweet scripture ; and while 
thou readest it, wilt thou not cry out, with David, in the 
contemplation of the overwhelming mercy : And is this 
the manner of man, O Lord God ? 2 Sam. vii. 19. Think, 
O my soul, how it was with thee, when in the days of 
thy unregeneracy thou wentest on frowardly in the way 
of thy perverse heart. Who could have stopped thee, 
had not sovereign grace ? And how justly might the 
Lord have said, I have seen thy ways, and will punish 
thee ; will give thee over to a reprobate mind, and for¬ 
sake thee for ever ! Oh ! the riches of grace, when from 
my very unworthiness, the Lord took occasion to mag¬ 
nify his love- and mercy! O Lord Jesus ! do thou 
incline the heart that thou hast healed to live to thy 
praise, and let the life thou hast saved from destruction 
be spent in thy service. 




320 


OCTOBER 27—28. 


I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away. 

Isaiah xli. 9. 

Is this thy portion, my soul ? Hath the Lord thy God 
indeed chosen thee ? Hath he manifested his love to thee 
in so distinguishing a way ? Take comfort, then, in all 
thine exercises, when seasons of darkness and discourage¬ 
ment are around ; think of God’s choice, and venture on 
God’s Jove ! Art thou distressed, exercised, afflicted ? 
Dost thou call on God, and find no answer ? Doth the 
enemy tempt thee to doubt ? Doth thine own unbelieving 
heart misgive thee ? Still, recollect, Jesus knows all. He 
chose thee—and he that chose thee, knows all thine ex¬ 
ercises ; nay, he himself hath appointed them. And re¬ 
member, thou wast not forced upon him. It was his own 
free choice first made thee his : and his own love will be 
the security of thy present dependence. Jesus resteth 
in his love: he hateth putting away. Cast down as 
thou art, thou art not cast off. Though fallen, he can 
raise. Though dejected, he can and will comfort. Sweet 
thought! He will turn again ; he will have compassion 
upon us : and he will cast all our sins into the depths of 
the sea. Hallelujah ! 


Casting all your care upon him; for he 
careth for you.—1 Pet. v. 7. 

Yes, blessed Jesus ! I would cast all upon thee ; sins, 
sorrows, trials, temptations. Thou art the Almighty 
Burden-bearer of thy people ; for the Lord Jehovah hath 
laid on thee the iniquity of us all. And as thou bearest 
all our sins, so thou carriest all our sorrows. And dost 
thou not bear all the persons of thy redeemed ? Dost 
thou not bear all our troubles, all our exercises, all our 
temptations, trials, difficulties ? The government is upon 
thy shoulder; the care of the churches is all with thee. 
And shall I not cast all my care upon thee ? Shall I be 
careful for many things, while Jesus saith, “Cast thy 
burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee?” Oh 
for grace to sit loose to all things, and to leave all things 
with thee ! Lord ! do thou bear me up when I am fall- 



OCTOBER 29-30. 


321 


ing, support me when weak, uphold me against all mine 
enemies, carry me safe through a life of grace here— 
and finally, bring me home to thy glory to behold thee, 
and dwell with thee for ever. 


He sent his word, and healed them. 

Psalm cvii. 20. 

Of all the subjects to comfort our minds in the recol¬ 
lection of the mercies in Jesus, the authority and name 
of Jehovah in the appointment comes home with the 
greatest comfort to the heart. This is faith’s warrant— 
this is faith’s confidence. Who sent Jesus; who sent 
his word; who is it that gives validity and efficacy to 
salvation ?—Jehovah. “ Beware of him,” saith the Lord, 
“ my name is in him.” And how then can my soul fail, 
or any promise in Christ pass unfulfilled, when Jehovah 
sends, and Christ completes the work the Father gave 
him to do. Blessed Jesus! may I always look to thee 
under this precious character: and may I hear thee 
speaking under that Solemn but blessed title, “ I am the 
Lord that healeth thee.” 


Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as 
thy day so shall thy strength be. 

Deut. xxxiii. 25. 

What a thought that is which the word of God fur 
nisheth, in the view of everlasting engagements, that a 
suitable strength is laid up for every emergency. God’s 
love hath provided adequate supplies to the wants of all 
his people. What strength of enemies shall be equal to 
the everlasting strength of God ? What shall drain the 
resources of everlasting love ? What shall dry up the 
streams which flow from an everlasting fountain ? Jesus 
therefore will proportion the back of his people to the 
burden. His grace shall be sufficient for all: it shall be 
sufficient for you, it shall be sufficient for me, for every 
one, for all. Sweet thought! Oh, for grace to keep it 
always in remembrance! 




322 


OCTOBER 31. 


There remaineth therefore a rest to the 
people of God.— Heb. iv. 9. 

Blessed motto for the close of the month, or the day, 
or year; after being fatigued with the thoughts, and 
cares, and anxieties, of life. My soul! delight thyself 
in the thought of it—look forward to the speedy enjoy¬ 
ment of it. Like the prophet’s vision, it will come: 
wait for it. No sorrow you have gone through will ever 
come over again. No persecution already felt shall ex¬ 
actly be again practised. The same trial shall not he 
again known. Every day, every hour .of the day, we 
are nearer home. Precious consideration ! And Jesus 
is the rest of his people. Lord ! in thee alone I find rest: 
be thou my hope, and be thou my portion for ever. 


NOVEMBER 1. 

For thou wilt light my candle .—Psalm xviii. 28. 

Precious consideration! It is the Lord that lighteth 
the candle of his people. And if the Lord light it, what 
power can put it out? Cherish, my soul, the faith this 
thought awakens, amidst all the darkness around thee 
and in thee. Hath the Lord indeed given thee light % 
Dost thou in his light see light ? In the light of God the 
Father, dost thou behold God the Son ; and, by the en¬ 
lightening of the Holy Ghost, hast thou the light of the 
knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus 
Christ ? Oh! the blessedness of such a state of light, 
and life, and knowledge; how is it possible then any 
more to be in darkness, when the Lord himself is my 
everlasting light, and my God my glory ? Now consider 
the reverse of this in creature-enlightening. “ How oft,” 
saith Job, “is the candle of the wicked put out!” And 
how exposed it is to be every moment put out; for it is 
not of God’s kindling. A fleeting of its own oil will do 
it. What is called a thief in the candle will do it. It 
may be blown out; it may be snuffed out; or if none of 
these causes occur, yet of itself it must shortly burn out. 



NOVEMBER 2. 


323 


For what is our life, but a vapour ? My soul! ponder 
these things. Hath the Lord lighted thy candle ? * Is 
Jesus thy light, thy life, thy joy, thy sunshine, thy morn¬ 
ing star, thy all in all ? And hath he risen upon thee 
never more to go down ? Oh then, though all thou 
knowest, all thou beholdest now, is but as the faint taper 
of the night, compared to the glory of that day which 
shall be revealed, yet take to thyself by faith all the 
sweet comforts of thy state of grace, and say—It is the 
Lord that hath lighted my candle ; the Lord my God 
will enlighten all remaining darkness : I shall see thy 
face in glory, and shortly awake up after thy likeness. 


But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, 
whom the Father will send in my name, he 
shall teach you all things, and bring all things to 
your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto 
you .—John xiv. 26. 

O blessed Spirit! to whom I owe such unspeakable 
mercies ! Let me, Lord, contemplate thee this day un¬ 
der this gracious, kind, compassionate office, of the Com¬ 
forter. Thou art indeed the Holy Ghost the Comforter. 
And how mercifully dost thou sympathize with all the 
followers of Jesus in their various afflictions, both of soul 
and body ! How tenderly dost thou show us our sins, and 
lead to Jesus’s blood to wash them away ! How sweetly 
dost thou visit, encourage, strengthen, instruct, lead, 
and guide, into all truth ! And how powerfully at times, 
by thy restraining grace, dost thou enable us to mortify 
the deeds of the body, that we may live ! Hail, thou holy, 
blessed, almighty Comforter ! Oh let thy visits he con¬ 
tinual ! Come, Lord, and abide with me, and be with me 
for ever. Manifest that thou art the Sent of the Father 
and of the Son, in coming to me in Jesus’s name, in 
teaching me of all the precious things concerning Jesus, 
and acting as the Remembrancer of Jesus ; that in thee 
and by thy blessed office-work, I may know, and live in 
the sweet enjoyment of fellowship with the Father, and 
with his Son Jesus Christ, through the influences of thee, 
the Holy Ghost the Comforter ! 



324 


NOVEMBER 3—4. 


And in that day there shall he no more the 
Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hosts. 

Zech. xiv. 21. 

O precious day of God, when will it arrive ? Shall the 
house of Jesus be indeed delivered from all false pastors, 
all corrupt worship, and the Lord have turned to the.peo¬ 
ple a pure language, that they may all call upon the name 
of the Lord, to serve him with one consent? Shall my 
soul indeed be freed, not only from all the sorrows, pains, 
evils, and afflictions of sin around me, but what is infi¬ 
nitely better than all, from the very being and indwelling 
of sin within me ? Shall the fountain of corruption, both 
of original and actual sin, be dried up, so that I shall never 
think a vain thought, nor speak an idle, sinful word, any 
more ? Is there such a day, in which the Canaanite shall 
he wholly driven out ? O blessed thought! precious, 
precious promise ! O dearest Jesus ! to what a blessed 
state hast thou begotten poor sinners of the earth by thy 
blood and righteousness ! Hasten it, Lord ! Cut short 
thy work, thou that art mighty to save, and take thy 
willing captive home from myself, and all the remaining 
Canaanites yet in the land, which are the very tyrants 
of my soul. 


For I know that ye seek Jesus which was 
crucified.— Matt, xxviii. 5. 

Is it indeed known unto my Lord that I seek him ? 
Doth Jesus know that I desire him more than my neces¬ 
sary food ? Ye angels of light, that watched over his se¬ 
pulchre, do ye witness for me that he is more precious 
to me than gold, yea, than the golden wedge of Ophir! 
And can I, do I, humbly appeal to him that readeth the 
heart and knoweth all things, and say, thou knowest, 
Lord, that I love thee ? Be comforted then, my soul: 
He whom thou seekest will he soon found of thee. He 
is near at hand. He hath never been a wilderness to his 
people ; neither hath he ever said to the praying seed of 
Jacob, seek ye my face in vain. While thou art seeking 



NOVEMBER 5—6. 


325 


him, he is looking on thee. And the very desires in thine 
heart of seeking him it is Jesus hath kindled. And no¬ 
thing can he more sure than that He who kindled them 
in thine heart did not kindle them in vain. Sweet 
thought! I bless thee for it, thou gracious Lord! 


The king hath brought me into his chambers. 

Song i. 4. 

Yes ! he who is King of nations, King of saints, is my 
God and King also ; for he hath a universal empire, be¬ 
ing one with the Father over all, blessed for ever ! Amen. 
To him I bow the knee, and humbly and gratefully de¬ 
sire to put the crown of my salvation on his adorable 
head. And what hath this Sovereign done for thee, my 
soul ? Oh ! record his praise ! tell it to saints and sin¬ 
ners all around. This great, and glorious, and conde¬ 
scending King, hath not only brought thee out of dark¬ 
ness and the shadow of death, but hath brought thee 
into his chambers. What chambers ? Chambers of sweet 
communion and fellowship; chambers of love, of grace, 
of mercy, of redemption, of ordinances, and of all co¬ 
venant-blessings. He hath taught me of his love and 
my privileges in him, and so assured me of my ever¬ 
lasting safety in him and his finished salvation, that by 
and by, when, from those outward chambers of grace, 
he hath accomplished all his blessed purposes concerning 
me, he will bring me home into his inner chambers of 
light and glory, from whence I shall go out no more, 
but dwell in them, and in the presence of God and the 
Lamb, for ever and ever. Hallelujah ! 


For the Father himself loveth you, because 
ye have loved me, and have believed that I 
came out from God .—John xvi. 27. 

See, my soul, how thy Jesus hath endeared to thee 
the Father in the assurance of his love. And wilt thou 
28 




326 


NOVEMBER 7. 


not feel thine whole affections going forth in continual 
love after him? Was it not thy Father which, from 
everlasting, gave thee Jesus as thy Saviour, and gave thee 
to Jesus that he might redeem thee ? Was it not from 
the same precious source, that Jesus came as a Saviour, 
and a great one, to redeem thee, and other great sinners ? 
Is it not thy Father that hath adopted thee into his fa¬ 
mily in Jesus, and given thee the Spirit of adoption, 
whereby thou criest Abba, Father ? And doth he not ac¬ 
cept thee in Jesus, bless thee in Jesus, nourish thee with 
the body and blood of Jesus, clothe thee with the right¬ 
eousness of Jesus, and give thee all temporal, spiritual, 
and, by and by, will give thee all eternal blessings in Christ 
Jesus ? Nay, even his chastisements have nothing in 
them of wrathful punishment, but fatherly love and 
mercy in Jesus ! Oh ! my soul! pause, and behold 
what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon 
thee, that thou shouldst be called a child of God ! And 
wilt thou not then from henceforth and for ever say unto 
him, in Jesus, My Father! thou art the guide of my 
youtji, for thou hast commanded me so to call thee? 
Jeremiah iii. 19. 


And yet there is room .—Luke xiv. 22. 

Room ! where, and for whom ? Room in the gospel 
of salvation, and for poor perishing sinners, in the blood 
and righteousness of Jesus Christ. Room in the heart 
of God the Father, in the love, grace, mercy, and peace, 
of God the Son; and in the teachings, influences, and 
fellowship of God the Holy Ghost. Room in the plen¬ 
tiful provisions of grace, the calls of the gospel, the 
ministration of the word and ordinances in the house of 
prayer. Whosoever will , is the gracious invitation ; who¬ 
soever feels his heart made willing in the day of God’s 
power, let him come and take of the water of life freely. 
Lord, is there room for me ? Thousands, and tens of 
thousands have found room, through thy grace inclining 
them to come : and yet the scripture sweetly saith again 
this day, and yet there is room. Oh ! give me grace to 
see that I am one of the invited, one of the happy num- 



NOVEMBER 8. 


327 


ber that hath found room; and from experiencing the 
blessed fulness, riches, grace, suitableness, and all- 
sufficiency, in the blood and righteousness of Jesus for 
poor sinners, I may proclaim everywhere around, that 
others may find the same, that yet there is room. And, 
O Lord, grant, that while yet there is room, multi¬ 
tudes that are ready to perish may come. And then all 
thy royal guests whom thou bringest to thy banquet, and 
who find room in all the mercies of Jehovah for redemp¬ 
tion here below, will find room in the house not made 
with hands, eternal in the heavens. 


The people shall dwell alone, and shall 
not be reckoned among the nations. 

Numb, xxiii. 9. 

Mark, my soul, the character of God’s Israel, and re¬ 
member that they are the same in all ages. Distinguish¬ 
ing mercies are sweet mercies. God’s people dwell 
alone, in the everlasting appointment of the Father, by 
whom they were set apart, and formed for his glory, and 
given to his Son. They dwell alone, in being brought 
into the church of Jesus, as the redeemed and purchased 
by his blood. They dwell alone, under the sweet in¬ 
fluences of the Spirit, by whom they are known, distin¬ 
guished, regenerated, and sealed, unto the day of re¬ 
demption. Thus set apart, thus formed, thus given, thus 
redeemed, thus purchased, thus sealed, surely they are 
not reckoned among the nations, but are supposed to 
show forth God’s praises, who hath called them out of 
darkness into his marvellous light. My soul! what 
sayeth thy experience to these things ? Oh! how dif¬ 
ferent the state, the circumstances, the new birth, the 
fellowship, pursuits, way, life, and work, of God’s peo¬ 
ple, from the world! Blessed Jesus ! cause me to dwell 
alone from the nations around: but let me not dwell a 
moment without thee; but do thou come with thy Fa¬ 
ther and the Holy Spirit, according to thy sweet pro¬ 
mises, and make constant abode with me. 




NOVEMBER 9—10. 


And many of them that sleep in the dust of 
the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, 
and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 

Daniel xii. 2. 

What a morning will this'be ! how distinguished from 
every other ! Lord, how often do I now awake, with 
thoughts of earth, and sin, and trifles, and vanity! How 
have I opened mine eyes this morning ? Was it, dearest 
Jesus, with thoughts of thee ? In that solemn morning 
there will be no longer dreams as now, even in our 
waking hours: for all childish imaginations, shadows, 
doubts, and fears, will be done away. Precious, blessed 
Lord Jesus ! cause me morning by morning, while upon 
earth, to awaken with sweet thoughts of thee. Let the 
close of night, and the opening of the day, be with thy 
dear name in my heart, on my thought, and on my lips : 
and in that everlasting morning, after having dropped 
asleep in Jesus, and in thy arms by faith, may I awake 
up in thy embraces, and after thy likeness, to be ever¬ 
lastingly and eternally satisfied with thee. 


For such an High-Priest became us, who is 
holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sin¬ 
ners, and made higher than the heavens. 

Heb . vii. 26. 

What a sweet thought! Surely, as a poor sinner, I need 
a High-Priest to act for me. I cannot, I dare not, 
approach in myself, and with my poor polluted offerings, 
without one. But he that intercedes for me must be 
himself holy, free from sin: his sacrifice holy, his obe¬ 
dience holy, and in all points suited to his office, and my 
necessities. Cherish, then, the thought, my soul, He that 
is thine High-Priest is all this, and infinitely more. So 
holy in himself, that not the shadow of sin was in him. 
So harmless, that in his mouth was found no guile. So 
undefiled, that though he took all the sins of his people 
upon him, yet in himself he was free from all sin. So 



NOVEMBER 11. 


329 

separate from sinners, that though he took the nature of 
man, yet wholly underived from man. And so much 
higher than the heavens, that his own personal holiness 
infinitely transcended the holiness of angels. For while 
they are said to be charged with folly, Jesus is the Holy 
One in whom the Father declared himself well pleased. 
Meditate, my soul, on these precious features in thy 
Jesus, at all times, and upon all occasions: and more 
especially, when thou drawest nigh the throne of grace, 
in and through this glorious Mediator. And moreover, 
for thy further comfort and encouragement to come 
boldly to the mercy-seat, forget not to recollect the still 
further blessed thought, that this holiness of Jesus is the 
righteousness of all his people; for he was made sin, 
when he knew no sin, that they might be made the right¬ 
eousness of God in him. And as if this was not enough, 
Christ glorified not himself to be made thy High-Priest, 
but was called to it as was Aaron. Go then, my soul, 
go to the precious, the holy, the harmless, the undefiled, 
High-Priest, Christ Jesus, in whom, and in whose right¬ 
eousness and atoning blood, thou mayest always have 
boldness to draw nigh, to find grace, and mercy to help, 
in all time of need. * 


And in that day there shall be a root of 
Jesse, 'which shall stand for an ensign of the 
people: to it shall the Gentiles seek; and his 
rest shall be glorious .—Isaiah xi. 10. 

Jesus is both the root and the offspring of David, and 
the bright and morning star; and, therefore, is not this 
the day, the very day, the joyful day, in which he 
was set up, as God the Father’s ensign from everlasting, 
for salvation in the council of peace ? And was he not 
brought forth, and set up, and proclaimed, as God’s sal¬ 
vation to us poor Gentiles in the fulness of time, as well 
as the light of his people Israel ? Surely it can have re¬ 
ference to no other. Precious Jesus ! I do indeed be¬ 
hold thee, as set up from everlasting. Thou wert so ex¬ 
hibited in the council of peace; and thy goings forth 
28 * 



330 


NOVEMBER 12. 


were from everlasting, when thou wentest forth for the 
salvation of thy people. In the Bible, thou art the great 
Promise, and the whole of the promises. Thou art the whole 
of the law and the prophets. Both the Old Testament 
dispensation, and the New Testament grace, all pointed 
to thee, and in thee they had their completion. Thou 
art the Father’s ensign of redemption, the signal of war 
with sin, with Satan, and all the powers of hell and cor¬ 
ruption. Lord! to thee do I seek; under thy banner, 
and in thy strength would I enjoy a rest which indeed 
must be glorious. And oh, thou blessed Spirit of all 
truth! when at any time the enemy cometh in like a 
flood, do thou lift up thy ensign, even Jesus, as a stand¬ 
ard against him. 


And they shall come which were ready to 
perish .—Isaiah xxvii. 13. 

What a blessed promise is this to a poor sinner, that 
is conscious of his being in perishing circumstances ! My 
soul, pause over it this morning. Art thou not, if con¬ 
sidered out of Christ, in perishing circumstances, by 
reason of the captivity of sin ? Art thou not perishing 
under the sentence of God’s broken law ; under the just 
judgment of God, the alarms of thine own guilty con¬ 
science, the accusations of Satan, the fear of death, and 
the prospect of judgment and eternity ? And doth this 
sweet scripture hold forth a provision for such perishing 
circumstances ? Doth it really say, that such shall come ? 
Nay, that they shall come, whatever obstructions, either 
from within or without, shall block up the way? Will 
the Lord enable them, lead them, help them, nay, con¬ 
strain them to come in defiance of all impediments ? O 
precious, precious Jesus ! may the blessing of him that 
is ready to perish come upon thee: for thou dost indeed 
make the widowed heart, and the sorrowful heart, to sing 
for joy. Blessed be thy name, for that thou hast made 
me willing in the day of thy power! 




NOVEMBER 13—14. 


331 


Christ hath given himself for us, an offer¬ 
ing and a sacrifice to God, for a sweet smell¬ 
ing savour.— Eph. v. 2. 

If, when Noah offered by faith his sacrifice at the 
coming forth from the ark, the Lord smelled a sweet 
savour in it, because both the ark and sacrifice was a 
type of his dear Son; how fragrant and acceptable must 
have been the substance, when Jesus offered himself 
without spot to God ? Behold him by faith, my soul, in 
that hour, in the full incense of his own merit, the cen¬ 
ser of his own offering, and the golden altar of his own 
nature ! And while God, even the everlasting Father, 
accepts Jesus as thy Surety, in the fragrancy of his offer¬ 
ing, wilt thou not by faith so apprehend the sweet influ¬ 
ence of his person, work,'and righteousness, as to rejoice 
before God in the sure acceptance of thyself and all thy 
poor offerings in the Beloved ? Oh! let a throne of 
grace be a daily, hourly testimony for thee, that all thy 
approaches here are under the incense and intercession 
of Jesus; and all thine hopes and expectations of glory 
hereafter are all founded in him and his finished salva¬ 
tion. Yes ! thou Lamb of God ! let all witness for me, 
that thou, and thou alone, art the Lord my Righteous¬ 
ness, and that I seek salvation in no other, most perfectly 
assured, from thine own Spirit’s teaching, that there is no 
other name under heaven, given among men, whereby 
we must be saved. Hallelujah ! 


And the parched ground shall become a 
pool, and the thirsty land springs of water. 

Isaiah xxxv. 7. 

Oh! how refreshing is this promise to my poor, dry, 
barren, thirsty soul! Surely every poor sinner, like me, 
that knows his own leanness and poverty, will feel the 
blessedness of it; for whether he be in the sapless state 
of unawakened nature, or whether in a scorched or lan¬ 
guishing state, from the want of the renewings of grace, 
nothing can be more refreshing than such a promise. 



332 


NOVEMBER 15—16. 


Precious Jesus ! do thou revive the languishing frame of 
thy people ; do thou pour water upon him that is thirsty, 
and floods upon the dry ground. Oh ! what a fulness, 
blessed Lord ! there is in thyself to supply all. Surely 
thou art, as the church said, “A fountain of gardens, a 
well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon.” Do 
thou then, O Lord, send forth this day, this blessed day, 
such copious streams from thyself as may cleanse, revive, 
comfort, satisfy, and strengthen all thy churches. Lord, 
cause me to drink of the rivers of thy pleasure ; for with 
thee is the fountain of life. 


At our gates are all manner of pleasant 
fruits, new and old, which I have laid up for 
thee, O my beloved .—Song vii. 13. 

Yes, blessed Jesus! at the gates of ordinances, and 
the word of thy gospel, all the pleasant and precious 
fruits of the Spirit, which come in new and fresh sup¬ 
plies from thee, are indeed laid up. And oh ! how sweet 
and refreshing are they, brought home and laid up in my 
heart, by thy divine power, when thou enablest me by 
faith, and in thy leadings and strength, to go forth and 
bring them home, and to live upon them, and feed upon 
them, from day to day. And shall I not, thou blessed 
Jesus ! by the endearing name of my Beloved, call upon 
thee to command the north wind, and the south wind, to 
blow upon thy garden in my heart and in my soul, that 
the spices may flow; and that then my Beloved may 
come into his garden, and eat of his own pleasant fruits 
which his grace alone planted, and which his Spirit 
bringeth forth and ripens ! 


Thou shalt weep no more: he will be very 
gracious unto thee, at the voice of thy cry; 
when he shall hear it, he will answer thee. 

Isaiah xxx. 19. 

Listen to this, my soul! Ponder over every precious 
word in it. Are not all tears dried from thine eyes, when 




NOVEMBER 17. 


333 


beholding that complete salvation in which thou art in¬ 
terested, in Christ Jesus ? Believers are commanded to 
sorrow no more, as others without hope. And doth Jesus 
indeed wait to be gracious, nay, very gracious ? Is it 
possible to consider, that He, who hath all power in 
heaven and in earth, waits upon a poor worm of the 
dust, and this in order to be gracious ? Come then, my 
soul, unto the mercy-seat. Do thou wait for him, who 
thus waits for thee. And as soon as thy Lord hath heard, 
and answered one prayer, do thou follow it up with 
another. Remember that he waits to be gracious ; and 
Jesus is glorified in giving out of his fulness, to supply 
the wants of his people. And what petitions, my soul, 
hast thou now before the throne? What mercies art 
thou waiting for? Lord, help me to know my need, 
and thy fulness to supply. Help me to be for ever 
bartering my poverty for thy riches, and my sins for thy 
righteousness : that while thou art coming forth to me in 
mercy, my soul may be going forth to meet thee in 
prayer; and while Jesus is loading me with benefits, my 
poor heart may for ever be proclaiming his praise. 


And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in 
blood.— Rev. xix. 13. 

O thou bleeding Lamb of God! didst thou thus ap¬ 
pear to thy servant John, to tell him, and the church 
through him, that thy priesthood and thy sacrifice are of 
the same everlasting nature and efficacy as thy person 
and thy finished work—the same yesterday, and to-day, 
and for ever ? And didst thou thus manifest thyself, by 
way of assuring thy poor needy followers that thou de- 
lightest in thine office, and lovest to be employed ? Was 
it not, dearest Jesus! to this end, and as much in effect, 
as if thou hadst said, see,I wear these priestly garments : 
behold my vesture still fresh with the blood which I of¬ 
fered, in the day of my sacrifice on the cross, for my 
redeemed; and for whom I still appear in the bloody 
robe, as a proof of the everlasting efficacy ? For whom, 
but for my people, do I wear this vesture ? My soul! art 
thou looking now, with an eye of faith, within the veil ? 



334 


NOVEMBER 18. 


Hast thou a blessing to ask at the court of heaven this 
day ? Fly then to Jesus. Behold him still as John be¬ 
held him, and hear what he saith. Remember,his blood 
speaks; for so the Holy Ghost declares—it speaks better 
things than that of Abel; for Abel’s blood cried for ven¬ 
geance ; Jesus pleads for mercy. And doth it not speak 
to God for pardon, and from God in covenant promises 
of pardon ? Oh! the blessedness to behold Jesus clothed 
with a vesture dipped in blood, in confirmation that we 
have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of 
sins, according to the riches of his grace. 


Good news from a far country. 

Prov. xxv. 23. 

From a far country indeed ! for it is no less distance 
than from heaven to earth, and from beings as opposite 
as holiness and sin could make—even from God to man, 
from a rich Saviour to poor sinners! And so remote, 
that had not this good news been sent, heaven must have 
remained at an eternal distance,as an inaccessible region! 
And what is the good news itself ? The angels who were 
first sent to proclaim it, called it glad tidings of good 
things, of great joy to all people. And, indeed, such 
glad tidings it contains, as language fails to describe. It 
is pardon, mercy, and peace, to poor rebels. It holds 
forth joy, happiness, and everlasting felicity to sinners, 
enemies, and the fallen race of men. God revealed, sin 
atoned, Satan conquered, death destroyed, hell vanquish¬ 
ed, heaven opened! And these not all. This good news 
informs us also of the stupendous way by which the 
blessings are given, and everlasting happiness secured. 
Jesus, the Son of God, the Author, the Finisher, the 
Source, Cause, Sum, Substance, Beginning, End, and 
Portion, of all his people. These, among an infinite and 
endless volume of mercies, are contained in the good news 
from a far country : but we must enter upon that coun¬ 
try, to which, indeed we are invited by the proclamation 
of the gospel, before that we shall fully know, or even 
conceive, the thousandth part of what God hath laid up 
for them that love him. My soul! hast thou heard this 
good news ? Dost thou know the joyful sound ? Art 



NOVEMBER 19. 


335 


thou truly alive to the blessed things contained in it, and 
anxious to be interested therein ? Oh ! then, meditate 
upon them ! give thyself wholly to them. And while 
men of the world, from the world are seeking their chief 
good, and asking one another, What news? do thou turn 
a deaf ear to every other relation of a dying world, from 
which thou art dying daily, and let thy meditation be all 
the day, and let thine eyes prevent the night-watches to 
dwell upon this good news, and this only, which cometh 
from a far country. 


The strength of sin is the law. But thanks 
be to God which giveth us the victory, through 
our Lord Jesus Christ.—1 Cor. xv. 56, 57. 

Pause, my soul, over this solemn, but yet sweet verse. 
The strength of sin is the law. Doth sin derive strength 
from the law? Yes, for the motion of sin, which is in 
our members, gathers strength from the precepts in God’s 
holy law, just as pent-up waters, that are increasing from 
various sources, will swell and rage the more because 
they are restrained. And this is what the apostle means, 
when he saith,Sin, taking occasion by the commandment, 
wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For the 
mass of indwelling corruption is stirred up, and excited 
into action, by the law. The Lord, in rich mercy, teach¬ 
ing us by this very process, that so totally corrupt is our 
nature, that we do not know the whole workings of sin, 
until, by the holiness of his commandment, we are led to 
see, and feel a disposition to break it: like the first 
transgressors in the garden of Eden, who lusted to eat of 
the forbidden fruit, because it was forbidden. So that the 
very precepts of God, by the sin of our nature, become 
the means of giving strength to that sin of our nature. 
The law of God, in this instance, acts upon the heart, as 
when the gardener’s spade uncovers the surface of the 
earth, and the worms, which before lay concealed, appear. 
The worms were there before ; but they did not appear 
before. In like manner, the law turns up the heart, and 
then appears the sin which, though there before, lay 



336 


NOVEMBER 20. 


undiscovered. Is this thy case, my soul ? And dost thou 
still carry about with thee such a body of sin and death ? 
Well might Paul call it the mystery of iniquity. And 
well might Paul, from his deeper knowledge in the ana¬ 
tomy of the heart, cry out so greatly under the burden of 
it!—O precious, precious, precious Lamb of God! how 
little understood, and less regarded, even by those that 
know somewhat of thee in the riches and greatness of 
thy salvation, is it considered, in ten thousand instances 
which pass away in the gulf of forgetfulness over our 
unthinking minds ! Lord ! give me to see and feel, yet 
more and more, that in myself I am virtually all sin ! 
And, O Lord, give me to see and feel, yet more and 
more, that thou, and thou alone, art my righteousness. 
And let the apostle’s hymn of praise be henceforth daily 
and hourly mine—“Thanks be to God which giveth us 
the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 


Christ the wisdom of God.—1 Cor. i. 24. 

Think, my soul, what wisdom is contained in that one 
word, and that one person, Christ. A whole eternity 
will not be sufficient to read over the immense volume ! 
Wisdom in planning, wisdom in executing, wisdom in 
completing, the great salvation. And what a world of 
wisdom, in the two natures united in one Person—the God- 
man, the Glory-man, the Wisdom-man, Christ Jesus ! 
And oh! what wisdom in making sin, which strikes at 
God’s sovereignty, the very means of manifesting God’s 
power and love. Such is the wisdom of God in Christ, 
that sin, which in its nature becomes productive of the 
greatestdishonourto God,should be rendered subservient 
to produce the greatest glory ! My soul! ponder these 
things. Then ask thyself, Is there not wisdom in this 
vast subject, as far as it concerns thee, yet more wonder¬ 
ful than all ? Yes ! for surely the greatest of all myste¬ 
ries in this wonderful volume, to thy view, is, that thou, 
even thou, shouldst be made the subject for the exercise 
of such wisdom, as Christ, the wisdom of God, and the 
power of God, for thy salvation. And all this even 
against thy determined resolution to ruin thyself. Well 



NOVEMBER 21—22. 


337 


mayest thou join the apostle in his overwhelming 1 song 
of praise, and cry out, Oh ! the depth of the riches, both 
of the wisdom and goodness of God ! 


And righteousness shall be the girdle of his 
loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. 

Isaiah xi. 5. 

Mark these expressions, my soul, concerning thy Co¬ 
venant God in Christ. The Lord condescends by them 
to represent both his righteousness and faithfulness, as 
they are engaged to make good the purposes of redemp¬ 
tion, in the Father and the Son. Jehovah’s righteousness 
and Jehovah’s faithfulness are blessed securities for this 
purpose ; for so saith the Holy Ghost. God is faithful 
and just to forgive us our sins. Wherefore ? Because 
Christ is the end of the law for righteousness, to every 
one that believeth. And do not overlook the striking 
figure of the girdle which is chosen to represent it by; 
for as a man binds on the girdle round his loins as a 
strengthener, so Jehovah takes to himself the righteous¬ 
ness of his dear Son. Let him take hold, saith Jehovah, 
of my strength, to make peace with me, and he shall 
make peace with me. Isaiah xxvii. 5. This is the girdle 
of Jehovah, which compasseth him about, and cleaveth 
to him all around. So that his people, whether they are 
behind or before, may lay hold of the girdle of his per¬ 
fections, and hang upon them, and depend upon them: 
and even when God’s providences seem to frown, or 
the Lord seemeth to have turned his back upon them. 
Oh for grace and faith both in Jehovah’s covenant faith¬ 
fulness, and Christ’s righteousness, thus to trust, and 
thus to stay; for he is faithful that hath promised ! 


Come, buy wine and milk without money, 
and without price .—Isaiah lv. 1. 

Surely no man can plead poverty as an excuse for not 
buying, when the things sold are not only without money, 
29 




338 


NOVEMBER 23. 


but without even the proposals for money: not only with¬ 
out ready money, but without any money ! Here is not 
even a price given ! My soul, remember this! The poorer 
the wretch, the more welcome to this market. But what 
are the things sold ? Both wine and milk. A blessed 
variety in the gospel-feast—wine to cheer, and milk to 
nourish. Yes! blessed Jesus! thy love is better than 
wine ; and thy salvation more healing than milk. Be¬ 
sides, it conies free, it comes pure, it comes in plenty. 
And it far, very far, exceeds the strongest, wine, and the 
richest'milk. For though wine may remove a temporary 
heaviness, yet was it never known to raise the dead. But 
thy love,.blessed Jesus ! hath raised, and will keep alive 
for ever, sinners dead in trespasses and sins, and preserve 
the languishing graces of thy saints. Come then, my 
soul, obey the gospel 'invitation this day, and every day; 
come, buy these precious things without money, and with¬ 
out price. Come, ye poor, needy, perishing sinners; 
come, every one of you, and buy—there is enough in 
Jesus for us all. And depend upon it, not one of you 
will be sent empty away, if you come empty to be filled, 
and hungering to be satisfied. This is the only mark and 
evidence of every real purchaser. If Jesus with all his 
blessings be welcome to your heart, you are welcome to 
take of his free.salvation. Lord! I am come this day, 
and every day. Now let me hear thy voice : “ Eat, O 
friends ! yea, drink abundantly, O beloved !” 


If the Lord were pleased to kill us, he would 
not have received a burnt-offering and a meat¬ 
offering at our hands; neither would he have 
showed us all these things .—Judges xiii. 23. 

Precious faith this of the wife of Manoah, and sound 
and conclusive reasoning. My soul! hath the Father, 
who gave thee Jesus for a Saviour, accepted thee in 
Jesus ? Hath the Father, who sent his dear Son to be the 
Saviour of the world, accepted Jesus for thy Saviour ? 
Hath the Holy Ghost showed thee the glorious things of 
redemption in his blood, the forgiveness of sins according 



NOVEMBER 24. 


339 


to the riches of his grace ? And hath he given thee to 
believe in the record, that God hath given eternal life, 
and that this life is in his Son ? Oh ! then say with the 
wife of Manoah, Surely the Lord would never have done 
all this, neither would he have showed me all these things, 
had he not intended my salvation ! Treasure up, then, 
these past tokens of favour; consider present evidences 
of mercy, and say, Is not Jesus still precious ? Are not 
my desires after him ? And small as you sometimes think 
your hope, yet would you, my soul, relinquish it for a 
thousand worlds ? O then, my soul, hang upon Jesus, 
cleave to Jesus, hold fast on Jesus. Never would the 
Lord have showed me the beauty, glory, fulness, suitable¬ 
ness, and all-sufficiency of Jesus, nor enabled my soul to 
hold up Jesus in the arms of my faith for acceptance, if 
the Lord had been pleased to kill me. 


Behold, I send an angel before thee, to keep 
thee in the way, and to bring thee into the 
place which I have prepared. Beware of him 
and obey his voice, for my name is in him. 

Ezod. xxiii. 20, 21. 

Who can this be, my soul, but Jesus ? He, and He 
only, who is the whole of the covenant, is also the Mes¬ 
senger, and the Angel of the covenant. Jehovah hath 
never put his name in any other ; neither given his ho¬ 
nour to any other. But in Jesus he is eternally well 
pleased, and hath given all things into his hand. Pause 
then, my soul, and contemplate this holy, this blessed, 
this only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. 
I see in him all the glory, the sovereignty, the wisdom, 
grace, and goodness, of the Father. And he is Jehovah’s 
salvation to the ends of the earth ! And wilt thou, then, 
my gracious God and Father, send Jesus before me in all 
my way, to keep me, to guide me, and to bring me in to 
behold thy glory in the face of Jesus Christ, and to dwell 
with thee for ever? 0 Lord Jesus! I would desire 
grace so to beware of thee, so to love thee, so to obey 



340 


NOVEMBER 25—26. 


thee, so to adore thee, so to make thee my all in all, my 
life, my .love, my joy, my present, my everlasting hope 
and portion, that in life, and death, in time, and to all 
eternity, Jesus may be my glory and salvation for ever 
and ever. 


Once have I sworn by my holiness, that I 
will not lie unto David .—Psalm lxxxix. 35. 

Wonderful condescension! Was it not enough that 
Jehovah gave his Son to poor sinners ; gave his word, 
his promise, that all that believe in him should not pe¬ 
rish but have everlasting life ? But, as if consulting the 
weakness of our faith, confirmed it with an oath: pledged 
his holiness to Jesus, and to poor sinners in Jesus, for 
the sure accomplishment of all covenant engagements in 
the blood and righteousness of his dear Son. O my soul, 
never, never more call in question the truth of thy gracious 
God. Say with Job, “ Though he slay me, yet will I 
trust in him.” What are afflictions, trials, darkness, 
poverty ? These are in me, and about me, but no obstruc¬ 
tions to the efficacy of Jesus’s righteousness, or the Fa¬ 
ther’s faithfulness. Read under every one of them the 
charter of rich, sovereign grace ; hear what God hath said, 
what God hath sworn ; and believe the record that God 
hath given of his dear Son ;—men shall be blessed in him. 
Jesus shall see the travail of his soul and be satisfied. 
Here then rest, my soul! God hath sworn once by his 
holiness : Jesus hath once died, the Just for the unjust, to 
bring sinners unto God. Return to thy rest; the Lord 
hath dealt, my soul, bountifully by thee. 


And it shall come to pass, that every thing 
that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the 
rivers shall come, shall live.— Ezek. xlvii. 9. 

Listen to this promise, my soul, and make it the sub¬ 
ject of this morning’s meditation, of this day, and every 
day. See how rich, how extensive, it is in the life-pro- 




NOVEMBER 27. 


341 


* 


mising power. And the river of life in Jesus possesseth 
all these blessed effects. To every poor sinner, brought 
into this rich stream, it gives life, spiritual life, eternal 
life. And who shall describe the length, the breadth, the 
heights, the depths, of it? Not only extending over all 
the continent of the earth, but from the borders of hell to 
heaven, and from one eternity to another. And its sove¬ 
reignty is such that it bears down all before it—washing 
away sin, and guilt, and misery ; diffusing streams of life, 
and grace, and mercy; opening sources of joy, and peace, 
and happiness, for ever and for ever. O precious, precious 
Jesus ! make glad my soul with the streams of this river: 
be thou the fountain of all my happiness, and let all my 
springs be in thee. 


For lo, I will command, and I will sift the 
house of Israel among all nations, like as corn 
is sifted in a seive, yet shall not the least grain 
fall to the earth .—Amos ix. 9. 

Blessed promise to my poor soul, sifted and blown 
about by temptation ! Look then to Jesus with it, and 
plead it under every new sifting time. Corn must be 
sifted, for it is much covered at times with tares and chaff. 
And so must the seed of Jesus, that the precious may be 
known and separated ; for what is chaff to the wheat, 
saith the Lord ? O Lord ! if it please thee, for thou 
knowest the necessity of it, sift me, try me, separate me, 
not only from the ungodly, with whom I am constrained 
to dwell, but from myself, from my own trifling, vain 
conversation, from the corruption of the indwelling sin 
in my fallen nature, from the vain thoughts which lodge 
within me. Yes ! precious Jesus ! sift all, and every 
thing which is unsuitable to thee, and let the whole fall 
through the sieve, that thou alone mayest remain with 
me : for sure I know my God hath said, though his Israel 
be sifted, yet not the least grain of the true wheat shall 
be lost. 


29* 



342 


NOVEMBER 28—29. 


For, when we were yet without strength, in 
due time Christ died for the ungodly. 

Romans v. 6. 

My soul! fold up this sweet and precious scripture, 
and carry^it about with thee in thy bosom, and in thine 
heart, that it may help thee on at any time, and at all 
times, when thy strength seems gone, and there is no 
power left. Was it not when the whole nature of man 
was without strength, that Christ was given of the Fa¬ 
ther ? And was it not equally so, when Christ came to 
seek and save that which was lost ? And was it not in due 
time when Christ died for the ungodly ; due time in his 
resurrection, due time in his ascension, when he ascended 
up on high, led captivity captive, and received gifts for 
men, yea, even for the rebellious, that the Lord God 
might dwell among them ? Go further yet, my soul, as 
it concerns thyself—Was it not due time indeed, when 
Jesus passed by, and saw thee in thy loathsome state of 
sin, cast out to perish, and when no eye pitied thee, that 
then his eye compassioiied thee and bid thee live ? Who 
more ungodly than thee ? Who more weak ? Who more 
undeserving ? Did Jesus then look upon thee, call thee, 
strengthen thee when thou wert without strength, and 
hath helped thee to this hour ? Oh ! then, trust him 
now, trust him for ever. His strength is made perfect 
in thy weakness. And depend upon it, when thou art 
most weak in thyself, then is the hour to be most strong 
in the Lord, and in the power of his might. He that in 
due time died for the ungodly, will be thy strength in due 
time of need. 


Until the day break, and the shadows flee 
away, I will get me to the mountains of myrrh, 
and to the hills of frankincense .—Song iv. 6. 

Methinks I would have every poor sinner, until the 
day-dawn of awakening grace breaks in upon his soul, 
get away to the ordinances of God in the mountain of 
the Lord’s house: there he should live, there wait, until 



NOVEMBER 30. 


343 


the Lord speaks to his soul. And methinks I would have 
every poor sinner that is awakened, until the day of glory 
breaks in with an everlasting light upon him, get away 
to the gospel-mountain, where the odour of Jesus’s in¬ 
cense, and the savour of his blood and righteousness, be¬ 
come sweeter than myrrh, and more fragrant than frank¬ 
incense. Here, Lord, cause me to get away from all 
surrounding impediments, and to be constantly found 
waiting, that my soul may drink in the fresh, reviving, 
renewing streams, until Jesus himself, the Morning Star, 
breaks in upon my soul, to lead me home to his ever¬ 
lasting glory, in his bosom for ever. 


It is high time to awake out of sleep : for now 
is our salvation nearer than when we believed. 

Romans xiii. 11. 

Solemn consideration ! What time is it with thee, my 
soul ? Let me ask, with the prophet, Watchman, what 
of the night ? The morning cometh, and also the night. 
Perhaps there may be but a step between me and death. 
Am I really awakened from the sleep of carnal security ? 
Am I alive from spiritual death ? Am I dead to the 
world, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our 
Lord ? O Lord Jesus ! impress these solemn inquiries 
upon my soul yet more and more : since everlasting hap¬ 
piness, or everlasting misery, hangs upon the decision. 
My beating pulse is hastening to fulfil the appointed 
number. Even while I think of these things the account 
is increased. Every fleeting breath is one the less to 
take. Lord, make me wise to remember my latter end. 


DECEMBER 1. • 

Praise waiteth for thee, O God, in Zion. 

Psalm lxv. 1. 

Is this the language of my heart ? Am I indeed wait¬ 
ing until that Jesus be ready to receive my poor praise ? 
Hath God the Holy Ghost prepared my heart ? Oh! 




344 


DECEMBER 2. 


then hasten to him, my. soul, with thy morning offerings, 
poor as they are ! for sure I am, Jesus is waiting to he 
gracious. God will accept both thee and thy offering in 
him the Beloved! Go forth to meet him as early and as 
often as thine heart can wish : depend upon it, thy Re¬ 
deemer will be beforehand with thee, and is waiting thy 
coming. Neither thy praise nor thy prayer can outrun 
his love ; for both are the blessed effects of his grace, 
and of his ownquickenings. Precious Jesus 1 grant me 
to cOme as often as I need thee. And, Lord ! if thou 
wilt grant me this blessing, I shall never be from thee, 
for I need thee every moment. 


It is written in the prophets, And they shall 
be taught of God. Every man therefore that 
hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, 
cometh unto me .—John vi. 45. 

Mark, my soul, these precious words of thy Jesus. It 
was one of the Old Testament promises, that all God’s 
children should be taught of him. And as this conde¬ 
scension of God, in teaching, implied the Father, so the 
blessed consequence and effect of it should be, that every 
one thus taught proved his being a child, and inclined 
his heart to come to God in Christ as a Father. My 
soul! art thou come ? Art thou looking to, leaning 
upon, trusting in, walking with, and seeking for, Jesus ? 
Is he the Lord thy righteousness, thine only righteousness, 
thine only hope, thine only confidence ? Dost thou, like 
the Apostle, count all things else but dung and dross 
to win Christ, and to be found in him ? Courage, then, 
my soul! These are the blessed tokens of thine adoption- 
character. None but God the Father, by his Holy Spirit, 
could have taught thee these things. None but He, that 
revealed his Son in the heart of his Apostle, could have 
been thy teacher. Thou hast both heard and learned of 
the Father; and, in proof thereof, thou art come to 
Christ for life and salvation. Fold up, then, this pre¬ 
cious scripture in thy bosom for thy daily use, and ex¬ 
amine thine interest in Christ continually, by a mark so 



DECEMBER 3. 


345 


sure and infallible. And remember what the Lord Jesus 
hath said, as a collateral testimony to the same blessed 
truth : All that the Father giveth me (saith Jesus) shall 
come to me ; and him that cometh I will in no wise cast 
out. 


Whether our brethren be inquired of, they 
are the messengers of the churches, and of the 
glory of Christ .—2 Cor. viii. 23. 

What a blessed account is here given of the children 
of God to all inquiries concerning them. See, my soul, 
whether thy experience corresponds to it, and mark their 
character. They are not only brethren to one another, 
but to Christ also: for we are told that he is not ashamed 
to call them brethren. Precious, condescending Saviour! 
Moreover, they are the messengers of the churches. What 
is that ? A messenger, in scripture, is called also an 
angel. And if the brethren of Jesus do know, and can 
speak of him as his people should, then are they like 
angels come down from the court of heaven, to relate 
what they have seen and know of the King in his beauty, 
and their hearts glow with a warmth of earnestness 
to proclaim his glory, and his love to poor sinful crea¬ 
tures here below. Neither is this all. For they are the 
glory of Christ. Mark this, my soul, and dwell with 
rapture upon it. A true believer in Jesus is the glory 
of Jesus. Not only because he gives glory to the Re¬ 
deemer for his grace, but because Jesus derives glory 
from his redemption. Not only because the poor sinner 
hath everlasting happiness from Jesus; but Jesus hath 
everlasting glory from that poor sinner’s salvation. Never 
lose sight of this, my soul, when thou goest to Jesus. 
Indeed, indeed, Jesus is glorified in receiving thee, in 
pardoning thee, in blessing thee, in giving to thee of his 
fulness. And the Father is glorified in this great salva¬ 
tion by his Son. Oh! what encouragement is this to 
faith : what inducement to come to Jesus. Lord ! how 
ought I to blush when I think how little glory I give to 
thee, in not seeing that thy church and thy people are 
thy glory, in being saved and redeemed by thee ! 



346 


DECEMBER 4—5. 


Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 

Matt, xxviii. 6. 

Lord ! I would desire grace to accept the call, for it 
is always profitable to have faith in lively exercise. I 
would pray that my meditation might frequently take 
wing, and view the memorable sepulchre of my Lord. 
Did Jesus once lie in the grave ? Surely death never 
had such a prisoner before ! But did Jesus lie so low 
for me ? Am I shortly to lie there ? Sweet consoling 
thought! The grave is now softened, and the chambers 
of death are perfumed with the fragrancy contracted from 
his holy, incorruptible body.-—But is there not another 
place where the Lord lay ? And doth not the Angel 
invite his people to see him there also ? Yes ! Jesus lay 
in the bosom of the Father from all eternity ! And doth 
he not lie, there now, and will he not through all eter¬ 
nity ? But can I see him there ? Yes. For if by faith 
I behold Jesus as the Christ, the sent, the sealed of the 
Father; in seeing him,I see the Father also. He saith 
this himself, John xiv. 9. And again, John xiv. 20. At 
that day ye shall knpw that I am in my Father, and you 
in me, and I in you. Blessed assurance ! Jesus is one 
with the Father : and all his people one with him. And 
as he is in the bosom of the Father, so are they in his, 
and there shall dwell for ever and ever. Hallelujah. 
Amen. 


It pleased the Father to bruise him; he hath 
put him to grief .—Isaiah liii. 10. 

The depths of wisdom were explored to furnish re¬ 
demption, and to find a Person competent to accomplish 
it. And when found, the depths of love were broken up, 
to make it complete. My soul, read over the mysterious 
volume which the Lord hath in part opened before thee. 
It cost the Father his thoughts from all eternity, to ap¬ 
point a plan, by which, consistent with his holiness and 
his justice, thou mightest be saved. It cost the Father 
his Son, his dear Son, his only Son, before that thou 
couldst be redeemed. Jesus must die ere thou canst 



DECEMBER 6. 


347 


live. Pause over the subject as it is here expressed. It 
pleased the Father to bruise him. Jesus, who was in 
himself holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, 
and made higher than the heavens ; he, who knew no 
sin, must be made sin; he, who never merited wrath, 
must be made a curse. Read on; Jesus must die—And 
by whom? Not by Jews, nor Gentiles only: not simply 
by high-priests and governors among men ; but by God 
the Father. He must bruise him, and put him to grief. 
For though Jesus was taken, and by wicked hands cru¬ 
cified and slain, yet all this, we are told, was by the de¬ 
terminate counsel and foreknowledge of God. And is 
there yet another chapter of wonder in this mysterious 
volume ? Yes ! What can it be ? Namely, that all this 
was for sinners, for rebels, for enemies ; nay, my soul, 
for thee! Wonder, O heavens, and be astonished, O 
earth ! Had our whole nature been bruised to all eter¬ 
nity in the mortar of divine wrath, for the sin of our 
nature, what would all this have been to the sufferings, 
agonies, and death of the Lamb of God ? And didst 
thou die for me, O thou unequalled pattern of love and 
mercy; and by thy stripes is my soul healed ? Precious 
Jesus ! 


If ye ask any thing in my name, I will do 
it .—John xiv. 14. 

Is it so, blessed Jesus, that if I go to the Father in thy 
precious name, mv petition shall be certainly heard, and 
answered ? Lo, then, I come. I feel my faith and con¬ 
fidence emboldened in this gracious assurance. And as 
thou knowest, Lord, this day, what i3 most suited for 
me, let thy wisdom choose, and let thy love bestow, that 
very grace, and mercy, be it what it may. And let a 
throne of grace witness for me, that I seek it wholly on 
Christ’s account. I consider it as good as given, from 
the high love my God and Father bears towards his dear 
Son, as my Surety and Saviour. And although in the 
moment that I ask with this boldness of faith, I see and 
know in myself, that 1 have nothing to recommend me to 
thy favour, as in the least meriting that favour, but much, 



348 


DECEMBER 7—8. 


very much to make me an object in meriting thy dis¬ 
pleasure ; yet looking up to Jesus, depending upon his 
blood and righteousness, and wholly asking in his name, 
and for his righteousness’ sake only, I am encouraged to 
hope that I shall not ask in vain. Oh, then, Lord ! 
hear for Jesus’ sake, and let my petition and prayer be 
answered, that the Father may be glorified in his Son. 


And we know and have believed the love 
that God hath to us.—1 John iv. 16. 

Who hath known and believed, in terms equal to the 
greatness of the mercy itself, the love of God to the poor 
sinner ? God’s love must be an infinite love, and con¬ 
sequently the display of it must be infinite also. God, 
we are told, commendeth his love to us, in that while 
we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Had God loved 
and delighted in saints that loved him, this would have 
been love. Had God taken the holy angels into a nearer 
acquaintance with him, this would have been love. But 
when he raised beggars from the dunghill, and took 
rebels from the prison to set upon his throne, and at a 
time when his justice would have been magnified in their 
destruction, to prefer sinners, haters of God, and de- 
spisers of his grace; to bring them into the closest and 
nearest connection with him, in the Person of his dear 
Son, and all this by such a wonderful plan of mercy, as 
the incarnation and death of Jesus; who hath ever cal¬ 
culated the extent of such grace ? Who hath thoroughly 
known, or considered, or believed, in any degree pro¬ 
portioned to the unspeakableness of the salvation, the 
love that God hath to us ? O Lord ! add one blessing 
more. Cause my cold heart to grow warm in the con¬ 
templation of it: and let it be my happiness to be daily 
studying the breadth, and length, and depth, and height, 
and to know the love of God, which passeth knowledge, 
that I may be filled with all the fulness of God. 

Gad, a troop shall overcome him: but he 
shall overcome at the last.— Gen. xlix. 19. 

Is there nothing, my soul, in this sweet promise, that 




DECEMBER 9. 


349 


suits thy case and circumstances ? Was not Gad one of 
the children of Israel ? And are not all the seed of Israel 
interested in the promises ? Was the tribe of Gad for a 
time brought down, and brought under by a troop of 
foes ? And are not all the seed of Israel oppressed and 
brought into subjection ? Was not that glorious Israelite, 
the great Captain of our salvation, made perfect through 
sufferings ? Think, my soul, what troops of hell assaulted 
him ! But was the issue of the battle with him doubtful ? 
Neither is it now. In his blood and righteousness all 
the seed of Israel shall be justified and overcome by the 
blood of the Lamb. What, then, though there be troops 
of lusts within, and legions of foes without; troops from 
earth, and troops from hell, may, and will assault thee ! 
but look unto Jesus. It is said of his people of old, that 
they had an eye unto him, and were enlightened, and 
their faces were not ashamed. So now, Jesus undertakes 
for thee and for thy faith. He saith, I will be an enemy 
to thy enemies, and an adversary to thine adversaries. 
God the Father is looking on : angels are beholding : all 
heaven is interested. Nay, hadst thou but eyes to see, 
thou wouldst behold, like the prophet’s servant, moun¬ 
tains around thee, full of horses and chariots of fire, all 
engaged for thy defence. Shout, then, for the battle is 
already obtained by Jesus for all his people. Though a 
troop may overcome the Gadites of the Lord, yet shall 
they overcome at the last. Thanks be to God who giveth 
us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 


For he said, Surely they are my people, 
children that will not lie: so he was their 
Saviour .—Isaiah lxiii. 8. 

Oh ! what a tenderness of expression is contained in 
these words ! Jesus not only takes his people into rela¬ 
tionship with him, but undertakes for their faithfulness. 
In the birth of God’s everlasting purpose, this was done 
from everlasting; so that in one and the same moment, 
we are his people, his children, his brethren, his wife, 
his redeemed, his fair one, made comely in his comeli- 

30 



350 


DECEMBER 10. 


ness, and in his blood cleansed, and in his righteousness 
justified before God. And observe, my soul, the grounds 
of this relationship : Surely, he saith, they are my peo¬ 
ple. Not only as God’s workmanship and property, but 
as his purchase. Not only in first giving them being, but 
in giving them new being in Christ Jesus. The Lord 
hath taken them into covenant with him in Christ, and 
granted them a charter of grace and salvation in Jesus. 
Sweet and precious thought! God the Father, whose 
right they are by creation, hath given them to his Son. 
And Jesus hath made them his, both by his own pur¬ 
chase, and the conquests of his grace ; therefore he hath 
an interest in them, and in all that concerns them. 
Surely, saith Jesus, they are my people, my jewels, my 
treasure, my hidden ones. And observe, further, how he 
speaks for them as well as of them : They will not lie. 
How is this? Why, they are children of the covenant. 
And because he hath undertaken for them, therefore he 
was their Saviour ! Oh! the preciousness of such a 
Saviour, to every circumstance, to every state, in every 
way, and upon every occasion in life, in death, in time, 
and to all eternity. Jesus ! thou art indeed a Saviour ! 
thou art truly called Jesus, for thou hast saved, and thou 
wilt save, thy people from their sins. 


But there the glorious Lord will be unto us 
a place of broad rivers and streams; wherein 
shall go no galley with oars, neither shall 
gallant ship pass thereby .—Isaiah xxxiii. 2 1. 

See, my soul! now thy God condescends to represent 
himself to thee as thy God, under various similitudes, so 
as to strengthen thy faith and thy confidence in him, 
He that is thy gracious Lord is also thy glorious Lord; 
for he is both a Sun and a Shield: and he that gives 
grace, will give glory; one is the earnest of the other. 
Well, then, this glorious Lord will be there. Where ? 
Why in Jesus, in thy Jesus, God in covenant with him. 
He will be unto thee a place of broad rivers and streams. 
What is that ? Why as Jerusalem had no navigable 



DECEMBER 11. 


351 


rivers, or seas, to defend her from the approach of ene¬ 
mies all around, so God’s people are unprotected by 
nature, or by art, and lie open to their foes. But what 
they want in nature, shall be abundantly made up to 
them in grace. And as they have no art nor contrivance 
in themselves, God’s wisdom and love will provide true 
counsel for them. Since they have no sea for their fron¬ 
tier, God in covenant-love will himself be their sea, their 
ocean, their bulwark. And what galley or ship shall 
pass God to attack his people ? Surely none can. And 
observe, my soul, as God himself will be rivers, and broad 
rivers too, to defend, so will he be streams to provide, 
and full streams to provide plentifully all possible bless¬ 
ings. Hallelujah ! Shout, my soul, as the church of 
old, and say, A Fountain of gardens, a Well of living 
waters, and Streams from Lebanon, is my Beloved ! 


And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of 
silver. And he shall purify the sons of Levi, 
and purge them as gold and silver, that they 
may offer unto the Lord an offering in 
righteousness .—Malachi iii. 3. 

My soul, contemplate this gracious office of thy Jesus, 
and then see, whether he hath as graciously wrought it 
on thee. Jesus found our whole nature, when he came 
to save it, wanting refining and purifying indeed. By 
the operation of his holy word, and by the influences of 
his blessed Spirit, he brings the souls of his people into 
the furnace of purification. By the fire of troubles, of 
afflictions, of persecutions, he melts down their stubborn 
nature there. By the Spirit of judgment, and by the 
Spirit of burning, he purgeth their dross, taketh away 
their tin, and forms all his people into vessels of mercy 
and sanctification, that he may at length present them 
unto himself, a glorious church, not having spot or 
wrinkle, or any such thing, but that they may be with¬ 
out blame before him in love. And what endears him to 
his people under this blessed character as their Refiner, 
is this, that all the while the process is going on, Jesus 



352 


DECEMBER 12. 


sits by, watches over them, tempers the fire in exact pro¬ 
portion to what it should be, and suffers not the enemy 
to fan it a jot more than his love and wisdom see it fit to 
be. Is this the case, my soul, with thee ? Are all the 
fiery trials thou hast gone through regulated, kept under, 
and blessed, by thy Jesus, to so much good ? O my 
foolish heart! how have I repined in my affliction, be¬ 
cause I saw not Jesus’s hand in the appointment, nor dis¬ 
cerned his love carrying me through it. Blessed Refiner! 
henceforth give me to see thee. And do thou sit in this 
most needful office over my soul, that as all true believers 
are of the royal priesthood, being sons of Levi, and made 
kings and priests to God and the Father, never may my 
soul come out of the furnace of thy purification, until 
that I am enabled, by thy grace, to offer to the Lord an 
offering in the blood and righteousness of Jesus, where¬ 
by alone I can find acceptance with God in grace here, 
and glory hereafter. 


Take this, and divide it among yourselves. 

Luke xxii. 17. 

Precious Lord! such was thine unbounded love to thy 
people, that thou gavest all to them ! And, dearest Jesus, 
what didst thou reserve for thyself ? And how wise was 
thy love manifested ! To every one grace according to 
the measure of the gift of Christ; for the purchase of 
redemption, in the case of all, cost thee the same. If, 
indeed, a lamb of thine be weak, or diseased, or torn, or 
scattered, thou wilt take it to thy bosom, while thou wilt 
gently lead those that are with young. But every one, 
and all, shall have thy care; all, as their several wants 
may be. Here then, Lord, to thy table I would come. 
Thy death hath confirmed all thy purchased blessings. 
And in the Holy Supper I would seek grace, that my 
right may be confirmed in them. Before God," and 
angels, and men, I would take the seal of thy gift. In 
thy blood thou hast signed them: in the word of thy 
gospel thou hast recorded them : in the ordinances of thy 
church they are published and brought forth : and by thy 
Spirit thou givest the tokens and the pledges of them to 



DECEMBER 13. 


353 


thy redeemed. Witness for me, then, ye angels of light, 
that I accept of all in Jesus and in his free gift, the pur¬ 
chase of his blood, and the tokens of his love. Sweeter 
are they to my mouth than honey and the honey-comb. 
Blessed Jesus ! thy love is better than wine ! 


The Tree of life .—Revelation xxii. 2. 

Lead me, O Holy Ghost, by the hand of faith, this 
morning, into the paradise of God, and cause me to sit 
down under the tree of life; and, for a while, before the 
world breaks in upon me, enable me to meditate on its 
beauties, its loveliness, and its fruit. Is it not Jesus 
which I behold in this charming similitude ? Surety Jesus 
is to me the Tree of life, for I have no life but in him! 
And it is not only he which gave me life at the first, 
but preserves it, maintains it, and will preserve it for 
ever. He saith himself, Because! live, ye shall live also. 
And as he is himself the life of my soul, so every thing 
in him is the promoter of my life. His fruit also is all 
my sustenance, all I want, all I desire, all I can truly 
enjoy. He bears twelve manner of fruits. Yes! for 
there is in him both fulness and variety : pardon, mercy, 
and peace, in the blood of his cross; favour with God, 
affection with men; the Spirit’s gifts, graces, influences: 
comfort in this life, happiness and joy in that which is 
to come. And every month these fruits abound. Yes ! 
He saith himself, My fruit is better than gold, yea, than 
fine gold: and my revenue than choice silver. I will 
cause them that love me to inherit substange ; yea, I 
will fill all their treasures. Nay, the very leaves of this 
tree of life are for the healing of the nations. And how 
healing indeed is Jesus, in his word, his ordinances, his 
providences, his promises, his dispensations ! Neither is 
this all: the tree of life grows in the midst of the street, 
and is open in every gospel-ordinance, both to Jews and 
Gentiles, both to bond and free. He is also on either side 
the river. The church above, though sitting under the 
full enjoyment of him, doth not keep him wholly to her¬ 
self. Blessed be his name, he is as much for the glory and 
happiness of his church here below, on this side the river 
30 * 



354 


DECEMBER 14. 


of death. And is this Tree of Life, this Jesus, mine ? Oh! 
the vast privilege ! I bless thee, O thou Holy Spirit, for 
giving me the knowledge of him now by faith: and ere 
long, I hope to sit down for ever in the paradise of God, 
in the unceasing enjoyment of him, from whence I shall 
arise no more, but dwell under his branches for ever. 


Nevertheless, he saved them for his name’s 
sake, that he might make his mighty power to 
be known .—Psalm cvi. 8. 

Pause, my soul, over this verse, and observe how thy 
gracious God took occasion, from the misery of Israel, and 
even from their unworthiness, to magnify the riches of 
his grace. Israel had highly sinned: they had provoked 
the Lord; and their provocations were aggravated, from 
the spot where they were committed, for it was at the sea, 
even at the Red Sea, that memorable sea where the Lord 
had made a path for their deliverance. And wherefore 
then did he save them ? Wherefore did not the Lord 
drown them in the depths of the sea, for their unbelief and 
hardness of heart ? This sweet scripture gives the reason. 
H& saved them for his name’s sake. His name was 
engaged in covenant-promises ; and his glory was mag¬ 
nified in making good his engagements, notwithstanding 
all their undeservings. And what saith this doctrine to 
thee, my soul ? There is a nevertheless with thee also, 
from God’s covenant engagements in Christ, and to Christ, 
thy glorious covenant-head, notwithstanding all thy un¬ 
worthiness and provocations. Though I fail in all, God’s 
covenant fails in none. Though my unbelief breaks out 
like Israel’s, even at the red-sea of Christ’s blood; yet 
the efficacy of that blood is still the same, and the Fa¬ 
ther’s engagement to his dear Son, by virtue of it, never 
can fail. His own love is the standard of his grace, and 
not my deservings. His name’s sake, and not my merit, 
the rule of his favour towards his people; and all in 
Jesus. Fold up, then, this blessed scripture, my soul, 
for thy daily meditation, and learn to bless the freeness 
of that grace, which hath for its object the glory of God’s 
name, and no motive for thy salvation, but God’s glory 
in Christ Jesus. 



DECEMBER 15—16. 


355 


Knowing that tribulation worketh patience. 

Romans t. 3. 

Have former trials been blessed to thee, my soul? Why 
then, depend upon it, this, be it what it may, will be also. 
The covenant love and faithfulness of God in Christ are 
both the same now, as they ever were. If the Lord hath 
hitherto been making all things work together for good, 
so will he now. Only pause and consider why it must 
be so. Thy God is the same God as ever: is he not ? 
And his love to thee the same, because it is in Jesus. His 
covenant the same. His promises the same. The blood 
and righteousness of the Lord Jesus in efficacy the same. 
Well then, as all the perfections of God are engaged for 
God’s people, certain it is, that no trial to his people can 
arise which he knew not, nay, which he appointed not, 
and for which he hath not made a suitable provision. 
Well then, what trouble of thine can be so great, as to 
counteract and overcome divine strength? What bur¬ 
den so heavy that Jesus cannot bear? What afflictions 
so painful that Jesus cannot soften ? What grief so scorch¬ 
ing as to dry up the streams of God’s love ? Hear then 
his words : In your patience possess ye your souls. My 
soul, rest in this. Let past experience bring thee present 
confidence. See that all the fresh springs of patience 
flow from Jesus. Wait patiently for the Lord, by be¬ 
lieving in him. And depend upon it, thy present tribu¬ 
lation, of what sort or kind'soever it is, will terminate, 
like every former, in bringing glory to God, and comfort 
to thy soul. 


He that is surety for a stranger shall smart 
for it: and he that hateth suretiship is sure. 

Prov. xi. 15. 

Blessed Jesus! well is it for me that thou didst not 
hate to become a Surety. For hadst thou so done, and 
refused the vast undertaking, I must have perished for 
ever. And hadst thou consented to have become a Surety 
only for friends, and those only that loved thee, still 



356 


DECEMBER 17. 


here again I should have been lost. But when thou con- 
descendedst to become Surety for me, O Lord! it was 
not simply for a stranger, but for a rebel, a hater and 
despiser of thee, and of thy great salvation. Oh, the love 
of God that passeth knowledge! And how, blessed 
Jesus, didst thou indeed smart, and wert crushed and 
broken, when for my dreadful debt of sin, which sur¬ 
passed all the angels of light to pay, it pleased the Father 
to bruise thee, and put thee to grief. Oh matchless 
love of a most compassionate Saviour! Methinks I still 
see thee taking my place under the angry eye of God’s 
broken law. Methinks I see thee striking my worthless 
name out of the bond of the covenant of the law of 
works, and putting thine own in. Methinks I still hear 
thee, like another Judah, who in this was evidently thy 
type, saying to God and the Father, I will be Surety for 
him: at my hands thou shalt require him. Oh ! Lamb 
of God ! I bless thee as my Surety. I acknowledge thee 
as my glorious Sponsor. I was a stranger indeed, and 
thou hast owned me, and brought me home. I was in 
debt and insolvent, and thou hast cancelled the whole in 
the blood of thy cross. I was naked, and thou hast 
clothed : sick and in prison, and thou hast visited, healed 
me, and brought me out. I was lost, and thou hast re¬ 
deemed and saved me. Oh, what shall I render unto the 
Lord, for all the benefits he hath done unto me ? Bless 
the Lord, O my soul! and all that is within me, bless 
his holy name. 


Fear not; I have the keys of hell and of 
death.— Rev.i. 17, 18. 

Is it Jesus, all precious, all lovely, all powerful Jesus, 
saith this ? He who hath redeemed my soul from hell, 
mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling ? And 
hath Jesus, my Husband, my Brother, my Redeemer, 
the keys both of hell and of death ? Why then it is im¬ 
possible for any to open death’s door, one moment before 
that he gives the appointment. And doth he command 
me to fear not ? Oh, then, my soul! dismiss all anxiety 
about thy departure. Thy time is in Jesus’s hands. 



DECEMBER 18. 


357 


The keys are hanging at thy Redeemer’s girdle. Never 
fear, neither, to die as thou hast lived, and art living, in 
a believing frame in Jesus. This is as much suited to 
a dying time, as it is to a living time; for with this 
thou mayest go out of the world, as safe as living in it. 
To live is Christ, and to die is gain. God’s covenant 
love, and God’s covenant promises in Jesus are the 
same. They are, both in death and life, fixed and sure. 
When Jesus therefore comes, when the Master calls for 
thee, wilt thou feel reluctant ? What! reluctant to go 
to Jesus ? Is this thy love, thy kindness to thy friend ? 
Forbid it, dearest Lord. No, my precious, blessed Je¬ 
sus ! open the gate of death to me when thou pleasest, 
where thou pleasest, and how thou pleasest. Sure I am 
thou wilt be present, and that is enough for me. And 
when the ground of all sensible comforts is sinking under 
me, oh for a vigorous effort of faith communicated by 
thee, that I may drop the body, and leap at once into 
thy arms, with the last cry of faith, Lord Jesus receive 
my spirit, for thou hast redeemed me, 0 Lord, thou God 
of truth! 


For through him we both have access by one 
Spirit unto the Father.— Eph. ii. 18. 

Who would have thought that so short a verse should 
contain so much sweetness? And who would have 
conceived that in it the gracious offices of all the Per¬ 
sons of the Godhead, as they are mercifully exercised 
towards a poor sinner, are described ? Is not the access 
to a throne of grace, the work, the leading, of God the 
Holy Ghost ? Surely, he is the Spirit here spoken of. 
And through whom can a poor sinner have access to the 
mercy-seat, but in Him, and by Him, and through Him, 
whom the Father heareth alway? And to whom should 
the regenerated, adopted child of God have access; but 
unto his God and Father in Christ Jesus ? Are then all 
the glorious Persons of the Godhead thus revealed, as 
engaged in every poorsinner’s approach to the heavenly 
throne ? Oh for grace to give to each, and to all, the 
praise, and glory, and love, due to such transcendent 
mercy; and in a conscious sense of being interested in 



358 


DECEMBER 19—20. 


this great saltation to cry out with the Apostle, Now 
thanks be unto God, who always causeth us to triumph 
in Christ! 


God is faithful, by whom we were called 
unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ. 

1 Cor. i. 9. 

Think, my soul, what a dignity believers in Jesus are 
called unto, when brought into a nearness of communion 
with their glorious Head, in any exercise of trial or af¬ 
fliction for his sake. God is faithful in the appointment. 
How? In that it proves God’s fulfilment of his co¬ 
venant promises, when Jesus and his members are con¬ 
sidered by him as one. God is faithful in manifesting 
this oneness and fellowship, in making the members con¬ 
formable to their glorious Head, by trials* or sufferings. 
God is faithful in sending the affliction; and God 
manifests his faithfulness in guiding through it, and 
supporting under it. The trial itself, be it what it may, 
is a discovery of the covenant love and faithfulness of 
Jehovah. Nay, God' would not have manifested his 
faithfulness to a believer without it. What a sweet con¬ 
soling thought this is to the afflicted, exercised followers 
of the Lamb, under their trials ! My soul! do thou look 
at the subject, and learn from it to consider all tribula¬ 
tions in this view, and what a blessedness will pour in 
upon thee from so doing. Hath the Lord called thee to 
exercises ? Hath the progress of them led thee more to 
Jesus ? Hath the issue of them tended to endear Jesus ? 
Oh, then, proclaim God’s faithfulness ! I know, Lord, 
(saith one of old under trials,) that thy judgments are 
right, and that thou in very faithfulness hast afflicted me. 
Precious Jesus! what a dignified path is tribulation, 
when we are enabled to see thy footsteps going before 
marked with blood ! 


The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth 
us from all sin.—1 John i. 7. 

My soul, sit down for a while by this crimson fountain, 
and duly ponder over this glorious property of thy Re- 




DECEMBER 21. 


359 


deemer’s blood. Oh, the sovereign efficacy of it! For 
it not only cleanseth sin, but all sin: not only others’ 
sins, but our sins: not only the present evil of sin, but 
the everlasting evil of it: not only now, but for ever. 
It cleanseth from all sin. Pause, my soul! Is there any 
other laver to wash away sin ? Can prayers, or tears, or 
repentance, or ordinances, or communions, or duties, or 
alarms ? Oh no ! We must say of every thing, and of 
all things out of Christ, and void of Christ, as Job did 
concerning his friends. Miserable comforters are ye all; 
physicians of no value. Here then, my soul, seek thy 
cleansing, and here only. And while to this fountain 
thou art daily brought by the Holy Ghost, look up and 
behold the whole assembly of the redeemed above who 
are now standing around the throne, owing their bliss 
and their cleansing to the same source. Listen to their 
songs of joy, and catch the notes, to sing even now the 
same song of rejoicing. They have washed their, robes, 
and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. And 
therefore it is, and for no other cause, that they are now 
before the throne, and serve the Lord in his temple day 
and night. 


Then I restored that which I took not away. 

Psalm lxix. 4. 

Whose words are these ? They can be none but the 
words of Jesus ; for none ever made restoration but him ; 
and none but him could say, I took nothing away. And 
what was taken away ? God’s glory was taken away by 
sin; and, consequently, man’s happiness also. For when 
Adam sinned, he robbed God of his glory, and robbed 
himself and all his posterity of God’s image, and with it 
all happiness. Nay, my soul! thou hast done the same, 
in every renewed act of disobedience. And in breaking 
the divine law, thou hast justly lost the divine favour. 
And hath Jesus, all-precious Jesus, restored all these ? 
Yes! blessings on his name, he hath! And what renders 
it tenfold more gracious, he hath so done it, as never to 
be lost any more. By his finished work of salvation he 
hath restored to God his glory. And by his obedience 



360 


DECEMBER 22. 


and death, as our Surety, he hath restored to man hi3 
happiness. The favour of God we lost by sin : Jesus 
hath restored it by justifying us in his righteousness. 
The image of God we lost by rebellion ; Jesus hath re¬ 
stored to us this image, in sanctifying us by his holiness. 
So that every way, and in all things, Jesus hath made up 
the breach, and the poor sinner, who is lead by grace to 
believe in Jesus, stands more complete and secure now 
than before the fall. For if Adam had never sinned, nor 
his children in him, yet, after all, their righteousness 
before God would have been but the righteousness of 
creatures. Whereas now, in Jesus, the believers stand 
accepted and secured in the righteousness of the Creator. 
Hail then, thou Almighty Restorer of our fallen nature ! 
In thee, Lord, would my poor soul triumphantly say, 
have I righteousness and strength; even to thee shall 
men come ; and all that believe in thee shall never be 
ashamed nor confounded, world without end. 


Having made known unto us the mystery of 
his will, according to his good pleasure, which 
he hath purposed in himself.— Eph. i. 9. 

My soul! pause over these volumes of divine truth: 
for they are not as so many simple words, but contain 
vast volumes indeed, and such as a whole eternity will 
not afford space to read over and finish. The first is a 
large one indeed—-even the mystery of God’s will: 
namely, the mystery of redemption, originating in the 
divine mind, before all worlds. And this is not the 
smallest part of it, that it should be made known in any 
degree or measure to thee, my soul; a poor creature of 
a day, and that day a day of nothing but sin. The 
second volume in this vast subject is another precious 
part of the same glorious truth, namely, that this mercy 
of God in Christ is the sole result of God’s good pleasure. 
No foresight, no merit, no pretensions of thine, my soul; 
no, nor the merits of archangels, becoming in the least 
the cause. For though a gracious God hath taken occa¬ 
sion to make a glorious display of the depths of his grace, 
from the depth’s of man’s ruin ; yet it was not our state, 



DECEMBER 23—24. 


361 


but his good pleasure, which laid the foundation of our 
recovery by Jesus Christ. And the third volume in this 
stupendous subject is, that He that planned, executed 
and finished it. As none but infinite wisdom could pur¬ 
pose, so none but infinite power could accomplish. 
Pause, my soul, and contemplate the vast mercy! It 
comes from a God in Christ, as the first cause; and 
reverts back again to God in Christ, as the final end. 
Hallelujah! 


Lo, I come !—Psalm xl. 7. 

What a longing had Old Testament saints for the Lord 
Jesus’s coming ! And what an earnest wish and prayer it 
is among New Testament believers, for Jesus’s coming 
by the visits of his grace, and the sweet influences of his 
Holy Spirit, from day to day! My soul! methinks I 
would realize by faith this day, even this very day, these 
words of thy Redeemer, as if he were now standing at 
the door of thine heart, and asking for admission. And 
shall not I say, under this sweet impression, - Come in, 
thou blessed of the Lord! wherefore standest thou with¬ 
out ? Oh, blessed Jesus! when I consider the many 
precious instances of thy coming, set up from everlasting 
in thy goings forth for the salvation of thy chosen; thy 
anticipation, in thy visits before the season of thy taber¬ 
nacling in our flesh: thy visits to the patriarchs and 
prophets: thy manifestations openly to the people : thy 
secret, sweet, and inexpressibly gracious visits now, and 
thy promised return in the clouds at the final consum¬ 
mation of all things; O Lamb of God! dost thou say, 
Lo, I come ? Oh for the earnestness of faith, in all her 
devout longings, to cry out with the church of old, and 
say, Make haste, my Beloved, and come; oh, come 
quickly, Lord Jesus! 


God sent forth his Son made of a woman. 

Gal. iv. 4. 

How little did Adam suppose, when he charged God 
foolishly, (as by the way it may be observed all sinners 
31 




362 


DECEMBER 25. 


do by this plan,) in attempting to palm off his sin upon 
God, that the Lord in after ages would put distinguish¬ 
ing honour upon the woman, in which the man should 
bear no part. The woman, said Adam, whom thou gavest 
to be with me, she tempted me, and I did eat. Thus 
endeavouring to throw the whole blame of his trans¬ 
gression upon his gracious Benefactor. It is as if he had 
said, Hadst thou not given me this woman, I should not 
have disobeyed thy command. Now observe, my soul, 
God’s benignity and grace upon this occasion. The seed 
of the woman, said God, shall bruise the serpent’s head. 
Not the seed of the man, but of the woman. And when 
the fulness of the time was come, for this promise to be 
accomplished, God sent forth his Son made of a woman, 
without the intervention of a human father, but by the 
miraculous impregnation only of the Holy Ghost. As if 
to honour the weaker vessel, and to open a source of 
peculiar comfort in the female breast. As if God had 
said, in answer to Adam’s daring impiety: Though all 
the redeemed among men shall partake in this great salva¬ 
tion, yet the woman shall have in it an eminent token of 
divine favour. And as the accursed enemy of God and 
man did first beguile the woman, from the woman shall 
arise Him that shall destroy the Devil. The blessings 
of redemption shall begin with the woman, to her pecu¬ 
liar honour and to the serpent’s everlasting shame. For 
He that in after ages shall do away more than all the 
e vil of sin and the fall, by the sacrifice of himself, shall 
be born of a woman. And thus the Lord manifested 
forth his grace, in silencing Adam’s unbecoming expos¬ 
tulation. Oh! the wonderful way, and method, of our 
Wonder-working God. 


And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt 
among us .—John i. 14. 

Turn aside, my soul, this day, from every vain and 
Worldly thought, as Moses did at the bush, and behold by 
faith the accomplishment of what he then saw in type 
and figure, of this great sight which the Lord hath made 



ECEMBER 26. 


363 


known unto thee. The Word, the uncreated Word, even 
the eternal Son of God, taking upon him the nature of 
man, and uniting both in one Person, that by the union 
he might be a suitable Saviour for his people. As God, 
he was mighty to save, and fully competent to the won¬ 
derful act. As man, he was a suitable Saviour, for the 
right of redemption belonged to him. And .as both, He, 
and He alone, could become a proper Mediator, to recon¬ 
cile and bring together God and man, which by sin 
were at variance. This was the glorious news angels 
posted down from heaven to proclaim. This was the 
song of heaven, for which they sung Glory to God in 
the highest, and on earth peace, good will to men. My 
soul! canst thou join in the song ? Yes, if so be thou 
hast received Christ in those glorious characters; if, as 
for this divine purpose he was born in our streets, he is 
bom in thy heart also, and formed there the hope of 
glory. Oh! it is a blessed thing to have tme scriptural 
views of the Lord Jesus, and so to receive him, as Je¬ 
hovah hath set him forth, the Christ of God. Amen. 


Jesus Christ, of the seed of David. 

2 Timothy ii. 8. 

Sweet thought! Jesus will have regard to both sexes, 
in his incarnation. He will be of the seed of the woman. 
He will be also truly and properly man. As both the 
man and woman have sinned, so redemption shall be for 
both. But in the holy nature, in which as Redeemer he 
will come, he will partake of none of their sins. The 
man shall have no hand in his generation. And the 
womb of the woman shall be but the deposit of that holy 
thing so called, (Luke i. 35,) by the miraculous concep¬ 
tion of the holy Ghost. So that the body, which God 
the Father prepared him, belonged to both, but was un¬ 
connected with either. He must be truly man; for the 
law had said, Every male that openeth the womb shall 
be called holy unto the Lord. He must be a priest; and 
no woman could minister in that office. He must be a 
prophet; and no woman could‘ exercise that province, 



364 


DECEMBER 27. 


for it is not permitted for a woman to speak in the church. 
He must be a king; and the kingly office belongeth not 
to the weaker vessel. But both sexes shall be equally at 
the same time concerned in the blessed event of his in¬ 
carnation. The woman is saved in the child-bearing of 
this Redeemer, and the man brought into favour and 
reconciliation; for as by man came death, by man came 
also the resurrection of the dead. So that, as the Apostle 
strongly and satisfactorily concludes, there is neither Jew 
nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither 
male nor female, but ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 


For the mountains shall depart, and the hills 
be removed: but my kindness shall not depart 
from thee, neither shall the covenant of my 
peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath 
mercy on thee .—Isaiah liv. 10. 

What a rest is here, for a poor redeemed sinner to 
stand firm upon, in time and to all eternity! Well may 
he cry out concerning Jesus, and his great salvation in 
him, He is a rock, and his work is perfect. Yes ! yes, 
thou Lord God of my salvation! thou art my dwelling- 
place in all generations. My soul, look all around thee, 
look within thee, look everywhere about thee. Search, 
behold, examine diligently, what else will or can afford 
thee any security. And think what a dying world it is 
in which thou art dwelling, or rather travelling through. 
What friend, what brother, what child, what relation, 
can give thee help of soul, or even of body, when thou 
most shalt need it ? Think what a day, a week, an hour 
may bring forth! Amidst all these changes, is Jesus 
thine ? Doth he tell thee, that though mountains depart, 
and hills be removed, his salvation and the Father’s cove¬ 
nant of peace are the same ? Shout, shout, my soul, and 
begin the song, which in a dying hour will only swell 
louder, Salvation to God and the Lamb ! 




DECEMBER 28—29—30. 


365 


The eyes of the Lord thy God are always 
upon thee, from the beginning of the year, 
even unto the end of the year.— Deut. xi. 12. 

Oh, for grace to live always under an abiding sense 
of this most blessed truth. My soul, never forget it, if 
possible, but always possess in recollection an abiding 
apprehension of Jesus’s gracious presence.* And do thou, 
dearest Lord, when thou art coming forth in mercies, 
give me grace*to be going forth to meet thee with praises; 
and while thou art bartering thy riches for my p'overty, 
let all thy bounties be doubly sweetened in coming from 
thine own hand, and being sanctified by thy blessing, 
that I may receive all to*my soul’s joy, and to the praise 
of the Father’s grace in Christ Jesus. Amen. 


Not one thing hath failed, of all the good 
things which the Lord your God spake con¬ 
cerning you .—Joshua xxiii. 14. 

Say, my soul, in looking back the past year, canst thou 
set thy seal to this truth? Is there a promise whicn thy 
God hath not fulfilled ? Is there an instance in which 
God hath forfeited his word? .Canst thou point to the 
time, or place, in any one trial, or under any .one afflic¬ 
tion, in which thou hast not found God faithful ? Give 
then the Lord the honour due unto his name. If not 
one thing hath failed, proclaim his glory, set forth his 
praise, declare his truth, let the father to the children 
make known that God is faithful. And oh ! let thine 
heart bear testimony io what must be said of all his Israel, 
in all ages, What hath God wrought! 


Then Samuel took a stone, and set it be¬ 
tween Mizpah and Shen, and called the name 
of it Eben-ezer, saying, Hitherto the Lord 
hath helped us.—1 Sam. vii. 12. 

Did Samuel do this? Was that servant of the Lord, 
31 * 




366 


DECEMBER 31. 


who lived not to see Christ in the flesh, so full of faith in 
the coming Saviour, and in the experiences of Jehovah’s 
faithfulness in what was past, that he set up his Eben- 
ezer ? Surely, my soul, thou wilt blush to be outdone 
by the prophet, when thou hast not only seen the day 
of the Son of man completed, hut felt his power. O 
my soul! Let thine Ehen-ezer he Jesus ! Let the stone 
thou settest up he indeed the rock of ages. Yes, my 
soul! set up Jesus indeed, in all places, at all times, 
upon all occasions. And, O Lord! do* thou by thy 
blessed Spirit set up thyself in my heart, and enthrone 
thyself there, and reign and rule there for ever. Surely, 
my soul! Jesus is thine every-day Ebenezer: for he 
not only hath hitherto helped, but he doth help, and will 
help, and be himself thine Help, thy God, thy Portion, 
thy Jesus, for evermore. 


And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 
Speak unto Aaron, and unto his sons, saying, 
On this wise ye shall bless the children of Is¬ 
rael, saying unto them, The Lord bless thee, 
and keep thee. The Lord make his face to 
shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee. 
The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, 
and give thee peace. And they shall put my 
name upon the children of Israel, and I will 
bless them .—Numbers vi. 22 — 21. 

Pause, my soul, and in these sweet words behold thine 
almighty Aaron, even Jesus, in his everlasting priest¬ 
hood, day by day, thus blessing his people. Observe, 
the blessing in the name of the Lord Jehovah is thrice 
pronounced, as if to teach the plurality of persons in the 
Godhead. And observe, also, after this blessing thrice 
pronounced, Jehovah, as if to intimate the unity of the 
divine essence, declares, I will bless them. My soul, 
mark each. The First may be considered as the per¬ 
sonal blessing of God the Father, whose gracious office 
it is in the work of Redemption to bless and keep his 



DECEMBER 31. 


367 


people. The Second is the peculiar mercy of Jesus, 
whose face is always upon his people, and his grace their 
portion. And the Third is the work of God the Holy 
Ghost, when his blessed influences are shed abroad upon 
the soul, in the light of his divine countenance. And, 
my soul, observe further, how personally this blessing 
from the Holy Three in One is to each individual: it is 
to thee , even to thee. And, my soul, do not forget nor 
overlook this vast privilege in the blessing: Aaron, 
the great high-priest of the church, could only pray 
for the people that these mercies might be upon them; 
but thy great High-Priest, the Lord Jesus, confirms them. 
His language is, Father, I will. And God, having raised 
up his Son Jesus, hath sent him to bless us. Here then, 
blessed, precious Jesus ! thou great High-Priest of my 
soul! close the day, every day, close the year, close my 
life, whenever thou shalt be pleased to call me home, in 
thus blessing me. Lord! put thy name upon me, and 
upon all thy church and people, and we shall be most 
blessed indeed, in life, in death, and for evermore. 
Amen: Hallelujah! Amen. 








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PASSAGES OF SCRIPTURE 


ILLUSTRATED IN THIS VOLUME. 


Genesis. 


ch. ver. 

pas;e 

ii. 20. 

. 21 

vii. 16. 


xvii. 1. 


xxii. 12. 

.245 

xxiv. 58. 

.144 

xxviii. 15. 

.304 

xxxii. 24. 


xliii. 11. 


xlv. 4. 


xlviii. 2. 


xlix. 10. 


19. 

.348 

Exodus. 

ii. 24. 


iv. 12. 


xi. 7. 

.309 

xii. 14. 


xxi. 5, 6. 

. 29 

xxiii. 20, 21 ... 

.339 

xxx. 15. 

. 35 

xxxiv. 7. 

. 14 

Leviticus. 

ii. 13. 

.256 

vi. 12, 13. 


xvi. 21, 22 .... 


xxv. 9. 

. 88 

25. 

. 16 

Numbers. 

vi. 22—27. 

.366 

xiii. 23. 

.200 

xix. 2, 3. 

185 

xxiii. 9. 

327 


Deuteronomy. 


i. 6.281 

vi. 9.286 

xi. 12.365 

xv. 15.273 

xix. 3.297 

xxii. 11.212 

xxxii. 10.165 

11, 12....238 

xxxiii. 16.258 

25.321 

Joshua. 

xxiii. 14.365 

Judges. 

viii. 4. 60 

xiii. 23. t .338 

Ruth. 

iii. 18. 74 

1 Samuel. 

vii. 12.365 

xvi. 12, 13.139 

xxii. 2. 61 

2 Samuel. 

vii. 18, 19. 73 

xvi. 11,12.155 

17.163 

1 Kings. 

x. 6,7. 17 


2 Kings. 


iv. 1.271 

6.300 

vi. 16.264 

2 Chronicles. 

xxix. 36. 18 

Ezra. 

iv. 24 .!.168 

Esther. 

vi. 6. 21 

Job. 

i. 19.222 

x. 2. .48 

xxiii. 3, 4, 6.78 

xxxi. 32.233 

xxxiii. 23,24... 184 

Psalms. 

v. 3.187 

xii. 1. 45 

xvii. 15.52 

xviii. 28.322 

xxii. (Title) ... .146 

24.299 

xxiii. 3.194 

xxx. 5.180 

xxxii. 7.234 

xxxiv. 15.203 

xl. 7.361 

17.161 

17.288 


369 










































































370 


INDEX. 


Psalms, 

( i continued .) 


xlii. 8.317 

lxii. 8.306 

lxv. 1.343 

lxviii. 18.170 

19.183 

lxix.4.359 

lxxiii. 23.141 

lxxxix. 16.243 

19.270 

35.340 

xcii. 12.230 

ciii. 15.162 

cvi. 8.354 

cvii. 7.246 

20 .321 

cx. 1.178 

cxvi. 6. 18 

cxix. 136.223 

cxxxiii. 2. 91 

cxxxvii. 4. 59 

cxlviii. 14.278 

Proverbs. 

iii. 16.164 

viii. 22, 23 .204 

xi. 15.355 

xiii. 12 ....214 

xviii. 24.250 

xxii. 19.237 

xxv. 23 .334 

xxxi. 6, 7.261 

Ecclesiastes. 

ix. 7.196 

Song. 

i. 3.208 

4 .325 

5 .260 

11 .313 

12 .283 

14.319 

ii. 9. 19 

15.227 


Song, 

( continued .) 


iii. 3. 48 

I .303 

iv. 2.136 

6.342 

II . 87 

16.181 

v. 10 ..262 

vi. 2. 15 

vii. 5.291 

10.. 12 

13.332 

viii. 2.186 

5 .192 

6 .248 

• 

Isaiah. 

ix. 6. 55 

xi. 5.337 

10.329 

xvi. 4. 40 

xix. 20. 22 

xxi. 11.242 

xxii. 24 .298 

xxv. 4......284 

7 .201 

xxvii. 13.330 

xxx. 19. 53 

19.332 

21.171 

xxxiii. 17. 79 

21.350 

24.169 

xxxv. 7.331 

xl. 11.193 

xliii. 10.215 

xlv. 21.277 

xlix. 7.195 

1. 4.308 

li. 13. 67 

liii. 3. 99 

10.346 

12.106 

liv. 10.364 

lv. 1.337 

lvii. 17, 18.319 I 


Isaiah, 

( continued .) 


lxii. 3.159 

lxiii. 4. 10 

8.349 

lxv. 8. 20 

20.315 

Jeremiah. 

ii. 2. 82 

11 . 50 

viii. 22..'.296 

ix. 23, 24 .277 

xviii. 2.229 

xxiii. 6. 96 

xxviii. 16.221 

xxxi. 14.188 

xxxii. 40. 46 

xxxiii. 13.313 

1. 20 .282 

% 

Lamentations. 

i. 16. 33 

Ezekiel. 

ix. 2.157 

xlvii. 9...340 

Daniel. 

xii. 2.328 

Hosea. 

iii. 3.209 

xiv. 3 .207 

7.150, 173 

Amos. 

v. 14.276 

ix. 9.341 

Micah. 

ii. 13.133 

v. 5.310 

7.317 





















































































































INDEX 


371 


Habakkuk. 


iii. 19.255 

Haggai. 

ii. 9. 64 

Zechariah. 

i. 16.247 

iii. 1, 2. 24 

8 .198 

vi. 12.293 

X. 12.289 

xiv. 8.179 

21.324 

Malachi. 

ii. 16.280 

iii. 3.351 

Matthew. 

i. 21. 143 

23. 31 

viii. 2, 3. 67 

xiii. 46. 13 

xiv-. 31 . 70 

xv. 23.217 

$viii. 20. 43 

xxiv. 28.130 

xxvi. 36.101 

xxvii. 46.114 

xxviii. 5.324 

6. .346 

18.176 

Mark. 

v. 17.220 

18, 19.160 

x. 46.154 

xvi. 7.305 

Luke. 

i. 72. 86 

ii. 44, 46.206 

vii. 44.>... 32 


Luke, 

( continued .) 


viii. 35.145 

49.166 

x. 19.311 

33.152 

xiii. 8, 9. 10 

xiv. 22.326 

xv. 10.224 

xvi. 5.296 

xvii. 5.135 

xviii. 7, 8.257 

xxii. 17.352 

27.211 

44.103 

61.279 

xxiii. 34.110 

43.112 

46.118 

xxiv. 24.307 

32. 26 

34.121 

JOHK. 

i. 14.362 

36. 36 

38. t u.. 17 

ii. 10.<.. 14 

iii. 14, 15.285 

iv. 4.287 

10.219 

v. 25.260 

vi. 45 .345 

24 .265 

ix. 25 .274 

x. 17. 20 

xi. 25, 26.151 

28.191 

36.137 

56. 30 

xiii. 23. 54 

xiv. 2, 3.225 

9 .272 

10 .147 

14.347 

26.323 

xv. 1.244 


John, 

(continued.) 


xv. 5.227 


xvi. 14. 


27. 


xvii. 10. 


19.. 


22.. 


23. 


xviii. 4—6. 


xix. 26, 27 .... 

,.111 

28. 


30. 


42. 


xx. 27. 


The Acts, 


iii. 13. 

.269 

16. 

.275 

xi. 16. 

.294 

23. 

. 44 

xiii. 23. 

.267 

xix. 2. 

.182 

Romans. 


i. 4. 


iii. 22. 


26. 

.295 

iv. 25. 

.125 

v. 3 . 

.355 

6. 

.342 

18. 

.174 

21. 

. 23 

vii. 25. 

. 93 

viii. 33, 34 .... 

. 37 

37. 

.213 

xii. 5. 

.239 

xiii. 11. 

.343 

xiv. 9.. 

.131 

1 CoRINTHIAWS. 

i. 9. 

.358 

24. 

,336 

30. 

. 51 

iii. 22, 23 . 

316 






















































































































372 


INDEX. 


1 Corinthians, 
(i continued .) 


XV. 20 . 127 

56, 57 .335 

2 Corinthians. 

iii. 17. 48 

v. 6, 8. 46 

vi. 10. 27 

viii. 12. 56 

15. 51 

23.345 

xii. 9.344 

Galatians. 

ii. 20. 33 

iii. 13. 42 

19. 34 

iv. 4.361 

28.192 

v. 25.158 


Philippians, 
( continued .) 


ii. 8.108 

iv.3.312 

Colo ssi ans. 

i. 17.,.218 

iii. 11...317 

iv. 14.266 

1 Thessalontans. 

v. 25.290 

1 Timothy. 

r. 5.210 

15. 25 

2 Timothy. 

i. 9.253 

ii. 8.363 

iv. 8.251 


Hebrews, 
( continued .) 


vii. 22.311 

26 .328 

ix. 12. 83 

16, 17. 89 

xi. 4.254 

13.189 

xiii. 8. 9 

1 Peter. 

i. 5, 7.320 

6 . 75 

ii. 7. 39 

1 John. 

i. 3. 81 

7 .358 

iv. 16.348 


Revelation. 


Ephesians. 

i. 9.360 

ii. 7. 29 

13. 65 

18.357 

iii. 1. 47 

18, 19. 57 

v. 2.331 

vi. 24.197 

Philippians. 
i. 23. 94 


Titus. 


ii. 13.307 

iii. 5, 6.175 

Philemon. 
ver. 9.167 

Hebrews. 

ii. 16. 12 

iv. 9.322 

vi. 12. 69 

19, 20 .263 


i. 11.205 

13.232 

17, 18.357 

iii. 8.292 

iv. 3.300 

vii. 16. 63 

17. 38 

viii. 3.202 

xvii. 14.231 

xix. 7, 8.140 

13.335 

xxii. 2.353 

3.4.268 

16. 15 


THE END. 


PHILADELPHIA: 
STEREOTYPED BY L. JOHNSON, 












































































































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